A Dangerous Bond
by Wherever Girl
Summary: Both had been trapped in the darkness. One had no memories to reflect on outside of pain and suffering; the other had memories he wanted to forget. One was a slave. The other a monster. Can they help each other reclaim what has been lost, or will their story end in bloodshed? Rated M for blood, language, and slight trauma.
1. Author's Note and Prelude

*****HAPPY HALLOWEEN!*****

 **Welcome to a new story!**

 **So, I didn't know exactly what to post for this Hallow's Eve. I had several ideas in mind… but little to no time to execute them. :P**

 **Thankfully, I've been working on this little story off to the side, so I figured, 'Why not? It involves bloodshed, mystery, and fluff- I mean, trauma!- so it may keep a couple readers on their toes' (otherwise I have failed as a writer).**

 **I have to point out that the subtlety in this story is at a minimum low. You may figure out a couple answers after the first 2 chapters… but then again there's the art of 'Dramatic Irony', where it takes the characters a while to figure things out. The questions being how long, what will be their first hints, and… will they be able to save a friend?**

 **I'm posting this under an M-rating, mostly for bloodshed and trauma. And cursing. A lot of cursing. Maybe more blood. Then more cursing.**

 **But no sex. This is not that kind of story. Just throwing that out there.**

 **Now then, let's get this story rolling! As a disclaimer, I don't own any characters except some villainous OC (dammit), so that's out of the way.**

 **Read on… if you dare ;)**

 ***0***

 _I pressed my back against the wall, trembling in fright as the beast loomed over me. My heart pounded in my chest, as if wanting to burst out before it could be ripped out. I wanted to run, but the capability had been forgotten after my blood froze._

" _Don't think I'm letting you off easy. One slip-up, and you'll be hanging in the cellar with the rest of the corpses," the monster growled, smirking wickedly; he leaned close, mockingly placing the tip of his index claw underneath my chin, pressing the skin but not puncturing it._

 _I shivered as he forced me to look into his red eyes._

" _From now on, I own you."_

 ***0***

 **Wherever Girl presents**

 **In Association with Fanfiction dot Net**

 **A Fangface Fan Fic**

… **yes, another one…**

 _ **-A DANGEROUS BOND-**_

 _ ***all rights belong to Ruby-Spears Productions***_

 _ ***plot/story rights belong to the writer***_

 _ ***please remain seated until the end of the intro***_


	2. Vigor

I had been in the dark so long, I almost forgot everything. How long had I been locked away? Months? Years?

I lost track after Day One…

All I could remember was fire from that day.

Then everything went black.

I don't know how long I was out, or what all happened to me, or where I was taken.

When I woke up, I found myself in a cell. My wallet was gone… in fact, everything I had me was gone, from my shirt to my socks. The only thing on me was an old, large shirt and ragged jeans. Around my neck there was a tag: _No. 991978._

That's the 'identity' my kidnappers gave me.

I hadn't been called by my real name in so long…

Actually… I didn't remember it…

I forgot who I was, where I lived, and how I got here.

All I knew was that I was a prisoner; I was in hell; and that I couldn't leave.

The men who kept me here were brutal. I was continually beaten whenever I stepped out of line.

Apparently I was supposed to be 'trained' to follow orders: When to eat, when to sleep, when to piss, when to speak. When given an order I was to do it, or I got beat. If I gave an opinion, I got beat. If I so much as breathed wrong, I got beat.

I saw a lot of others fall victim to this. Mostly young kids. Oh, those poor kids…

The bastards tried to break me. Something inside told me to hold strong… I didn't know why, I just knew I couldn't let anyone push me around.

It was bad enough I forgot my name.

The only name I had, outside of '991978', was 'Vigor'.

Sunny gave it to me…

She was a little girl, about 12, who shared a cell with me. I called her 'Sunny' because she was the only sunshine in this dark place. Her story was that she was a runaway- her mother was abusive and her stepfather raped her, and she wanted to get away. Some guy offered her help, but ended up dragging her here instead.

Despite the beatings, she held strong too, always smiling and talking to me; she was a good actor too, pretending to heed commands and act like a mindless slave… but once she was put back in the cell, she showed her true colors. She claimed that since she grew up with a bad home-life, it was easy to deal with this traumatizing ordeal. She was also okay with being called 'Sunny', because her other name, 'Rosemary', was given to her by her mother, who only named her after some movie where a woman got pregnant with the devil's baby. …Talk about a dick-move.

I wanted to save her and get her out of here. She was always cheering me up.

I forgot how long we were together.

I just know that her breasts grew out some time before our final night together.

I was horrified when I saw what the bastards did to her then…

The poor kid…

I found myself trying to attack one of them, but the rest knocked my lights out. When I came to, we were back in the cell, Sunny beside me. "Don't worry, Vigor. My step-dad did worse. I'm okay…" she whispered to me, but I could still see the pain in her eyes.

I planned on saving her.

I wanted to save her… she deserved to be free…

I kept strong for her.

Even when I had The Nightmare.

It was a recurring dream I had, whenever I could sleep. Often, I wouldn't have any dreams, because I barely got to sleep. But when I did, it was for a brief time… though long enough for me to see the fire.

That's the only dream I had.

The only memory I had.

Fire.

That's why I figured I was in hell.

Pain. Misery. Fire.

I don't know how long I had to endure this.

When I first woke up here, I was well built. Not very fall, but still in good shape.

Now I was thin- no, malnourished. I could count all the rib-bones that showed through my chest.

I felt weak.

But I had to hold strong.

I couldn't let these bastards break me.

I was doing it for Sunny.

Even when we ended up separated, I still stayed strong for her. I was her Vigor.

I don't know how long it was since we shared a cell. Weeks? Months?

By the time I saw her again, she had grown a little taller. She didn't smile. Something told me that her 'obedience' was no longer an act, either.

We were forced to enter a truck, our hands bound and sacks over our heads.

Cain beat us if we stumbled.

He was the Top Bastard.

He hated me most. He was intent on trying to break me. I held strong.

"Enjoy the ride…" he rasped in my ear after we were forced in the car. "Because your new master is going to do worse things to do if you get out of line. He has a real lust for tough ones…"

"Go fuck yourself," I responded. I got hit upside the head with a nightstick.

I don't know how long we were driving for.

I just knew that things got worse for me that night.

The truck ended up swerving and hitting something. The bastards had to leave the truck to figure out what was going on.

I managed to get my bag off. I saw that most of the others had either fallen unconscious or died in the crash. Sunny was still alive.

I lifted the doors open.

I heard screaming from the bastards… one of them was lying against a wall, his face smashed in.

I had to get Sunny out of there.

I saw an alley. I motioned her to run ahead of me. She weakly hopped out, and we made a break for it.

Cain saw us. Shot at us. He missed a couple times.

Sunny ran behind me, shielding me from a bullet. "Don't worry…" she rasped, giving me one more smile. "…my parents… did worse…"

She died right that second.

Tears ran down my face.

I wanted to save her…

I failed…

Sirens blared in the distance.

Something in the shadows moved quick. I turned to get a good look…

Cain knocked me out.

I saw fire while I was unconscious…

Fire… and a monster in the shadows…

When I came to, I was on someone's floor. Cain was talking to another man. "… _landed on the hood of the truck and made it crash… killed a couple of my employees… one who survived… expect double for all the… had to clean him up…"_ the bastard was saying, but my head was ringing so bad I couldn't make out all his words.

"… _been a problem… once a month, though, during… never comes this far into town… got silver everywhere… pleasure doing business…"_ The man was saying, but it was hard to focus on the conversation. He was showing Cain to the door, handing him a wad of cash.

That's when it dawned on me that I had been sold.

The man turned to look at me. He looked to be in his mid-40's, with graying light-brown hair, green eyes, and a healthy figure. He wore a suit and a smile filled with lust. "Ah, you're awake. Good. I was worried I'd have to do everything myself," He said. I tried to get up, but my hands were still bound. "Now, now, don't be afraid… Just do as I say, and your stay here will be most… _luxurious."_

I will not say what he did next.

All I say is I did what I could to keep him from making me his toy.

Apparently, Cain failed to tell him just how tough I was. Despite having no nutrition, I used raw determination as my strength; I thought of Sunny, deciding to do for myself what I wish I could have done for her.

I managed to kick the man hard in the face, making his head hit the edge of a coffee-table. I then sprung to my feet and ran.

The doors were closed- probably locked. Even if they weren't, I couldn't open them with my hands behind my back.

The pervert was getting up; he was pissed. "You're going to regret that-" he snarled. But I was already running.

I jumped through a window. Glass shattered all around, and I felt several cuts on my arms.

We were on the first-floor of a two story home. I can't say whether it was fortunate or unfortunate for me-I didn't want to die, but I didn't exactly want to run through the night bleeding to death.

In the state I was in, it was a miracle I managed to stand at all. I continued running as fast as I could, struggling to stay up with my hands behind my back as I sprinted.

I ran down an alley, cutting through several yards in order to get as far away as possible. I didn't know where to run to. I had no friends or family in my memory, and no idea where to find any police.

I was running through the street when suddenly a pair of lights came my way.

I blacked out.

Fire was all that could be seen in my dreams.


	3. A Shocking Turn on Patrol

_~3_ _rd_ _Person Perspective~_

The young officer slammed his foot on the breaks before he could hit anyone. He had been on-patrol, when he received a call from a resident about seeing 'some streaker' running through her yard. He went to investigate… and that streaker ended up running right in front of him.

Of course, it wasn't quite a streaker, as the person still had a shirt on… though the first thing the young officer noticed was that they had their hands bound; the person appeared to be male, with black hair that came down to his neck, pale skin as if he hadn't seen the sun in months… and was bleeding!

"Hey! Are you alright?! What happened?!" He exclaimed, kneeling by the boy. He looked to be only a teenager, only 5 feet in height. The supposed teen gave no response, passed out, though he was still breathing.

The officer ran back to his vehicle, getting on his radio. "This is Officer Dexter; I'm at 103 Oak Street with an injured teen; victim has cuts around his arms and abdomen, and has his wrists bound. Bring an ambulance, stat!"

"Roger that, Rookie," the dispatcher replied. Everyone on the force called him 'Rookie', since he was the youngest officer at 21. "Paramedics are on their way,"

As he waited for the ambulance to arrive, Officer Dexter inspected the boy. He untied his hands first, checking for a pulse- it was going crazy! His heartbeat was the same way, when the officer turned him on his back. He lifted his eyelid, checking his retinas- there was no sign that he was high, and his breath didn't have a trace of alcohol… though still reeked.

Looking him over, the rookie could tell the young man didn't have much hygiene to his name. As for the name itself, he couldn't find any identification on him…

When he checked the young man's shirt, he got an answer. Around his neck was a tag, tucked inside the shirt, with the numbers 991978 printed on it.

 _A human-trafficking victim…?!_ He thought, stunned.

The ambulance pulled up; Officer Dexter told them all he found out, then repeated his findings over the radio, continuing his patrol in case there were any other clues on where the victim came from… or who 'sold' him.

He hated cases like this. Whoever got the idea that innocent people should be kidnapped, bought and sold by God-knows-what-kind of people was sick- what made it worse were the people who kept them in 'business'. It made his stomach lurch…

But it was also the main reason he joined the police force- so he could do more to stop human trafficking and save lives.

" _This is Officer Billings- we've got a car-wreck on 114 Brown Drive. 15 dead, 8 injured, looks like the work of a homicide. I need back-up!"_ came a voice over the radio.

114 Brown Drive, huh? Officer Dexter knew that area…

He looked out the window. It was a full moon.

The rookie let out a heavy sigh, then radioed back. "This is Officer Dexter, I'm on my way," he responded, turning down the street.

Arriving on the scene, the sight horrified him. One body was slammed on the wall, two more sprawled on the street, another impaled on a telephone pole… Blood was all over. He looked over and almost gagged- a young girl, looking about 14, lay on the ground in a pool of blood. _No… he wouldn't…_ he thought, going over to inspect the body.

The girl had been shot in the back. Her hands were bound, so it seemed she was trying to escape.

Her hands were tied… just like that teenager's!

The rookie went over to the truck, crashed against a light-post. Another officer was already looking inside, helping a few conscious victims sit up. "Radio for an ambulance, Rookie. These people need medical care," he said.

The young officer nodded, returning to his car and radioing for another ambulance. "Geez, injured people are just popping up everywhere, ain't they?" the dispatcher commented, as if hoping to ease the tension.

"I found another person eight blocks northwest from here. He was bound just like the rest of these people, and had a tag around his neck." Officer Dexter was telling his comrade a minute later, helping him set the people on the curb. They all seemed shaken up. None of them would speak. "Another human-trafficking scam, I'd say…"

"No doubt. …I can't get an answer out of any of these guys! Like they've been traumatized into silence,"

The rookie knelt down in front of one of the victims, a young man around the age of 25, his tag having the numbers 4472866 printed on it. He was of Indian descent, looking pale and malnourished. "Can you tell me who you are, and where you were taken from?" he asked.

The victim only sat there trembling, looking at the young officer with wide, frightened eyes.

"I…" spoke up one victim. It was a younger boy, age 7, and very pale. He seemed hesitant to speak, his voice raspy. "…I used to… I think I lived in California…?" he then flinched, covering his mouth as if he said too much.

The rookie patted him gently on the shoulder. "Don't worry. We're going to help you." He assured him. "I saw another victim running through the streets- he's on his way to the hospital. Do you know any others who escaped?"

"He… escaped?" The boy's eyes seemed to shine with hope. "Vigor escaped?"

"Vigor?"

"That's… what the rest of us called him. Sunny…" the boy looked over at the dead girl's body. "She called him that. He was strong Cain hated him a lot because he couldn't break him…"

"Cain. Was he one of the men who took you?"

The boy opened his mouth, but cringed, worried if he said something he'd get punished…

"Better wait until we get them some proper treatment, Rookie." The other officer said. He looked over, seeing a couple more squad cars and an ambulance pull up. "Huh! It's about time!" he walked over to another officer after they pulled up. "What took you so long, Brian? The Rookie here managed to get here quicker than you did!"

"Sorry, but we were on the edge of town. Got another call of a big, hairy creature prowling around- broke into the butcher shop and raided the meat-locker, this time." Officer Brian answered. "Beast disappeared without a trace,"

"What do you think it is?" the first officer, Billings, asked. "Some kook in a costume, or wild animal…?"

A third officer, female with red hair, looked around at the dead bodies. "I don't think so… No wild animal would cause damage like this," she stated. "Whatever's been prowling around town obviously decided to pass by here."

"No wild animal could cause all this," Officer Brian stated, looking at the body impaled on a light-post. "Either it's a homicide, or these guys really knew how to crash a car. …What do you think, Rookie? Think an animal did this?"

Officer Dexter scowled a bit, looking at the dead bodies. He looked back at the girl who was shot. "Not quite…" he muttered; he looked over at the ambulance, where the last of the survivors were climbing in. "Maybe one of the victims saw something…"

"We'll question them later. Right now… let's get the forensics team down here," the female officer said, looking at another body slammed against the wall.

For the next hour, the rookie helped his fellow officers and the forensics team clean up the area, getting identities of the dead victims who were brutally slaughtered; as for the victims who died in the crash (or were shot, in the girl's case) finding their next of kin would prove more difficult.

Officer Dexter returned to his patrol afterwards, letting out a heavy sigh. It was past the end of his shift, but he couldn't go home yet.

He was going to stop by the hospital first and ask a few questions.


	4. Temporary Security

I woke up God-knows-how-many hours later.

I felt comfortable for once and wanted to stay asleep.

My instincts wouldn't let me, as I noticed I was in a new location. Sitting up, I noticed I was in a bed- the covering kind of felt like plastic, the blankets were thin, and the pillow felt like it was filled with air. (Nonetheless it was more comfortable than sleeping on an old mattress with broken springs).

When I opened my eyes, I saw a white light first, and immediately thought myself dead… until I noticed my body still ached. You're not supposed to feel pain after you die, right? Unless you ended up in hell… though I felt I had left such a place behind.

There was a beeping sound, and I noticed a heart-monitor hooked up to me; an IV bag was also hooked to me, a small plastic bag filled with some clear liquid attached to it, being fed to my body through a tube attached to my hand.

I noticed I was in a hospital gown; my arms and torso were bandaged, and I was sure my head was wrapped as well. In clear light, I noticed just how pale and scrawny I was.

I felt light-headed. I wasn't used to being in such a bright room.

"How do you feel?"

The beeping of the heart-monitor picked up speed as I gave a jolt, just now noticing a young man sitting beside me. He had reddish-brown hair that was cut short, green eyes, and was wearing a police uniform. "Where am I…?" I asked him in a hoarse moan, which probably answered his question.

"Westview Hospital,"

"I figured that… I meant… what state am I in?"

"North Dakota." He stood up, walking over. "You're a human-trafficking victim, right?" I nodded- somehow that sounded right. "You ran out in front of my car last night- I had to rushed here, you were in bad shape. The doctors had to give you a blood transfer…" he cleared his throat. "Anyway... we found a few more victims by a car-wreck last night- only a few survived, but couldn't tell us anything,"

I winced, thinking about Sunny…

"…They called you 'Vigor', because you were the strongest one of them. I was wondering- if you feel alright- if you could answer a few questions I have,"

I sat up a little- my body ached, but I managed to ignore the pain. "Yeah, I can try."

"Alright." He pulled the chair closer to my bedside, having a notebook out to take notes. "First, what's your name, and do you know where your home is?"

I told him I lost my memory.

"I see… Hopefully, you regain it soon. Do you know where the trafficking operation took place? Where they kept you all?"

I shook my head. "They kept us all in cells, and all the windows were bricked. They threw bags over our heads when they were sending us somewhere,"

"Do you know any names of the traffickers,"

I thought for a moment. "Cain. I think he's the leader- he's bald, white, and has brown eyes. He has a tattoo on his fist of a circled star."

The details were easy to remember, as Cain was the one who tormented me most- our 'meetings' always ended with him punching me in the face. I gave the officer a few more descriptions of the other bastards I saw, though I didn't know their names.

"Well, the good news is those men were found dead in the wreck," the cop told me.

I had a flashback, hearing screams, seeing a dead body slammed into the wall…

"I'll tell the squad to keep a lookout for Cain. Chances are he's still out there-"

"He is… He dropped me off somewhere," I told the officer how I tried to escape but Cain knocked me out, and then dragged me to this 'customer's' house. "It must have been an important deal, if he didn't mind leaving the others behind."

"Who did he sell you to?"

"I don't know the name- some middle-aged guy with gray hair. His house has a smashed window, it looked like a big place…" I gave him the details of my escape.

The officer nodded, deducing that I was bleeding pretty bad- though if they managed to find a blood-trail, it might be easy to find the guy, unless I wanted to drive around with him and point the place out… once I was fully recovered.

After asking a few more questions, he assured me that they would find Cain and help me and the others find our families. The others, he stated, would be sent to a special ward in order to help them overcome their trauma. He claimed that since I was the only one not traumatized to the point of silence, I was welcome to stay with him- mainly so he could keep an eye on me, like a bodyguard of sorts.

I wasn't keen on staying with a stranger… but considering the guy was on the force and was helping out, I accepted. "So is there a name I can call you, or should I stick with 'officer'?" I asked him.

The guy chuckled. "…Biff. You can call me Biff."

I moved in with Biff the next week, once the doctors gave the o-k for me to check-out. They informed the officer to keep me on a healthy diet regime, due to my lack of nutrition, and advised I should avoid heavy exercise for the time being- only taking walks and lifting light 1 lb. weights was allowed, until I was in good shape again.

The young cop lived in a duplex- he lived on one side; he had a friend, Kim, who would be moving into the other side once she was done with college, going to school 30 miles out of town. He showed me around- the place was well-furnished and had all sorts of homey comforts: couch, lounge chairs, bookshelves, television, dining room, a large kitchen, and two bedrooms- one had its own bathroom; the other bathroom was located downstairs.

In all honesty… this was a relief for me. Back at the hell-hole, the others and I were forced to shower together and only got five minutes to do so. The cells each only had one toilet, all of them filthy and most of them never worked (at least, mine didn't), the bastards making us hose them out every week.

I told all this to Biff- after I relieved myself, feeling at-ease for once while doing so- and he deduced that the place I was contained in must have been an old prison. Even if he were wrong, it felt like such.

He prepared soup for lunch, claiming I couldn't start on solid foods immediately until my condition improved.

After lunch, I decided to go lay down, having the desire to sleep in a real bed. Biff allowed me to do so, and I slept until dinner.

The only downside was that I had the fire-dream again. At least waking up served as some relief, for once.

When Biff told me he had to go back to work, he advised me not to leave the house, not to answer the door, and not do anything to overexert myself- just in case Cain or one of his cronies was out looking for me, and he didn't want me to get hurt.

However, I was allowed to go in the backyard for fresh air. The duplex had a privacy fence with shrubs planted around it, so no one would notice me. I spent most of my time sitting on the patio, staring up at the sky. The weather was getting cool, so I figured it was nearing the end of summer, which was fine with me- the heat and humidity would probably kill me, the way I had been feeling the other night.

Once Biff came home, he would cook dinner (or breakfast, depending on his shift), ask me how I was feeling, and spot me in some minor exercise, consisting mainly of lifting small weights, doing sit-ups, and helping me apply fresh bandages on my arms and torso. He then asked if I remembered anything from my past.

I said no.

That was our routine for the next three weeks. Biff would go to work, keeping the door locked so no one would break in and cause me harm; he would leave meals in the fridge for me to heat up in the microwave- I started eating solid foods after two weeks- and allowed me to lounge around the house. I would either watch television, or walk around in the backyard, staring at the sky from the patio for a while before going back.

I stared at the sky quite a bit; having never seen it at all since who-knows-when, I didn't want to take advantage of it. I think I spent two hours a day just watching the clouds roll by.

I took long naps, too, to keep my energy up. I didn't want to get lazy, though, and did a little working out- just push-ups and light jogging around the backyard. Sure, I felt relaxed after finally getting out of hell, but I had to stay—or get back in- shape so I could enjoy life to its fullest.

I wanted to get a job, soon. I didn't know if I already had one… I must have felt restless, being at the house all day while Biff worked. The most 'work' I could do was answer any questions he had for me.

He took me down to the station one day, telling me the chief wanted to ask a few questions once my condition was well enough for me to go out. Of course, his questions were the same as Biff's, so it felt like a waste of time.

The only upside was that Biff suggested we drive around so I could find that house I had been dragged to. He added that the rest of the cops have been patrolling around the neighborhoods, and making sure no suspicious characters went in or out of the city, so there was a chance my culprit didn't skip down- unless he did that night. Nevertheless, I gave a description of him at the station, so his face was sure to be on a Wanted poster soon…

I shouldn't have let my optimism run wild like that.

I spotted the house that looked the most familiar. Two stories high, burgundy paint, black tiled roof… and sure enough, a window that was broken outward on the first floor. The memory of my escape flashed clearly through my mind as I told Biff this was where the man who 'purchased' me had lived.

He called in a couple more officers to help him investigate. Within ten minutes they arrived with a warrant to search the place. I was told to wait in the car.

No one answered the door, yet it remained unlocked. The police walked in anyway, one of them standing guard outside in case anyone else pulled up.

After almost two hours of investigation (I nearly fell asleep at this point), they walked out with no clear proof that the man had any association with the human traffickers. They claimed that he must have made contact at another location to avoid being caught and would have a stake-out around the place in cause he ever returned.

Biff took me home, stating his theory that the man must have skipped town the very night I escaped.

Later that night, I began thinking about the situation, realizing my escape wasn't just lucky- it was too easy. For one thing, why didn't the man try to pursue me after I jumped out the window? Sure he looked old, but I doubt he'd throw out his hip chasing after someone who was wounded. Also there was the matter of Cain- he had left just moments before my struggle with the man. He must have heard something… so why didn't he try to stop me? Or did he leave out a back-way? Even if he did, he would have noticed me running down the road…

None of these things added up.

I decided to go downstairs and talk to Biff about my suspicions.

That's when I heard the sound of breaking glass.


	5. The Investigation Restarts

_~Third Person Perspective~_

Biff Dexter sat at the desk in his bedroom that evening, rubbing his head in slight aggravation. The investigation was leading nowhere, and his guest, Vigor, had yet to regain any memory of who he was or how he got kidnapped.

He hated it when victims lost their true identities. It made him want to cry…

But he had to stay strong. He couldn't let the past interfere with the present- especially since he was hoping that the investigation would give him some sort of clue about what happened…

He stood up, stretching his back; sometimes working on the force made him feel twice his age. But he stuck with it- he wanted to help others, and do more to track down villains, and not just evil masterminds that popped up by chance. People didn't really need to have high-powered machines, gain magic powers, turn into monsters, or creatures at their commands to be villains. They just needed to do evil.

The situation was enough to convince him of that…

Looking out at the sky, he grimaced; it was a full moon.

Another type of evil was lurking about… one which he didn't quite understand.

His patrol would start tonight. He could go to the edge of town and question the 'mastermind' for his act. This would be his final warning…

 _*Crash!*_

Acting on instinct, Biff grabbed his gun upon hearing the noise. Was it a burglar? He hadn't received any reports of break-ins. The town was mostly quiet… except during the full moon. _He wouldn't come this far, would he?_ He thought.

The young officer stepped out of his room on the first floor, holding his gun up and looking around for any threat. He looked towards the stairs- he'd better go and alert Vigor.

* _creeeaaak*_

Someone stepped on a loose floor-board; he saw someone already upstairs. "Freeze!" he shouted, aiming his gun.

He didn't know someone was behind him.

 _They were all out for a drive in Florida, cruising along the coast. It was Spring Break, and they planned on making the most of it before they all went back to college._

 _In the back of his mind, he was hoping nothing would go wrong- that for once, just once, they could have a relaxing vacation and avoid running into trouble._

 _Kim was next to him, holding his hand and smiling. He couldn't wait until they reached the resort; he was ready to finally ask her to go steady with him._

 _He never got the chance, as- like always- they ended up in trouble during the trip._

 _They couldn't enjoy themselves at all afterwards._

 _He doubted they ever would again…_

He came to, his head aching. He looked around the room, turning on all the lights.

The window was smashed. Furniture was overturned as if there had been a struggle.

He ran upstairs, seeing a potted plant had been knocked over. There were a few blood drops on the ground.

A syringe lay on the floor, a meter of clear liquid left inside it.

"Vigor!" Biff shouted, searching all over the house. "VIGOR!"

No response.

He felt a draft, seeing the front-door was wide open.

Vigor was gone.

He rushed out to the phone, telling the cops to get to his house quickly.

He then ran out to his squad-car; it was reckless to leave his house unguarded, but at that moment he wasn't thinking clearly, his nerves shot.

He had to find him.

He had to save him.

He couldn't let this happen again.


	6. Bait

I saw the fire again.

When I woke up, I was sure I was on my way back to hell.

There stood Cain, with that other man.

"You're sure this will work?" Cain asked.

"Positive. With easy prey lying about, it'll come." The man answered. He then noticed I was awake. "…Thought you could make a quick getaway, didn't you? Too bad you only played it all out…"

He then began to babble on about some plan. Something about 'allowing' me to escape in order to 'draw out the real target', and how he hired Cain to keep watch from afar. They hid out somewhere else for a whole month- not to wait for the heat to die down, but to wait for their objective to appear. The rest of the victims were to be used as 'back-up' bait in case I got killed… but they were all safely sent away, so I was the only option.

My head hurt. I couldn't focus. As far as I knew, I was delusional and the guy was just gloating about making me his pet.

Cain then walked over to a dumpster, ducking down inside with a gun.

The man waited in the shadows.

I lied there for hours. My body felt numb, and I noticed my shoulder was bleeding.

I thought back to the situation. I was about to go down and talk to Biff when the two goons decided to break in, both of them wearing masks so they wouldn't be recognized. Cain caught me upstairs and pulled a knife on me, then injected me with morphine when I was strong enough to fight back.

The other guy knocked out Biff downstairs, having been lying in wait in case the officer interfered. They didn't kill him- they must have been in a hurry to drag me away.

Question was… why?

Of all people… why did they want me? Not that I'd wish this situation on anyone else; I just wanted to know what their sick obsession was with me.

I felt sick.

My shoulder stopped bleeding; the cut must have been light.

Why didn't they just kill me?

What were they using me for?

…

I remembered that night.

The screaming. The bloodshed.

Something leaping across the rooftops. An animal of some sorts.

My eyes widened in horror.

It couldn't be. This had to be a nightmare.

It had to be.

It was too ridiculous not to be!

There came a choked cry from the shadows.

The man who 'bought' me was suddenly thrown against the wall… his body at least.

His head rolled onto the ground, his face ripped clean off.

Cain cursed and began shooting.

A dark figure leaped over my head, grabbing the dumpster and throwing it.

I lay there, scared.

I wish I could run.

The creature stepped into the moonlight, looking down at me, reaching out for me.

I slowly blacked out. From shock. From blood loss.

Maybe both.

I had to accept this fact…

I was going to die.

The last thing I saw was a single fang coming close to my face.


	7. Through the Eyes of a Beast

_~Third Person Perspective~_

 _He was a monster._

 _He knew that since the beginning, but spent years denying it._

 _He felt human at times. He was human._

 _Was._

 _That part of him was gone now, reduced to a quiet voice in his head after learning the truth._

 _His best friend was dead, and he was to blame._

 _That's what made the humanity within him disappear._

 _He had to face facts._

 _He was a werewolf._

 _A monster._

 _No matter how many lives he saved or how many friends he had, he couldn't change that fact._

 _He had a thirst for blood._

 _It intensified over the years._

 _He ended up having to stay out of town so not to put others at risk._

 _So his only remaining friends could be safe._

 _But every full moon…_

 _Damn it all. He always lost control._

 _He started by just sticking to the edge of town. He hunted wild animals to try and satisfy his cravings._

 _But every full moon, he needed to taste human flesh._

 _He blamed his best friend. He was the one who put the taste in his mouth._

 _It didn't matter though. He was gone._

 _Gone like his human half._

 _Only his friends knew his secret. They only told him to stay out of town, to try and fight this; they claimed they knew him, knew he could overcome this…_

 _They didn't know shit about what he was going through._

 _A man saw him once._

 _Kept trying to bait him into a trap, making others stand by._

 _He ran out of help and had to come himself, it looked like._

 _Like the bastard even stood a chance against a werewolf. Did he honestly think the beast was stupid enough to go after an already-weak prey? Werewolves liked to have their prey on the run._

 _The scent of the blood was tempting…_

 _Bullets were fired at him._

 _He sent that assassin crashing into a wall. If he were alive, he'll wish he were dead soon enough._

 _The scent of blood was alluring…_

 _Finally, he looked at the bait they used._

 _He thought about his friends. They would hate him for this if they found out. They already knew about his loss of control. They should have killed him while they had the chance._

 _The victim looked dead already. He had a look of fear in his eyes, like all his victims…_

 _Except…_

 _It began to fade._

 _The kid was wincing, his fear turning to sorrow._

 _He looked at the kid closely._

 _Damn, his blood smelled so sweet…_

 _There was something in his eyes that seemed familiar._

 _Like he was looking at an old part of himself._

 _The kid only closed his eyes, as if willing to accept his fate._

…

 _Might as well give him what he wants._

' _Don't…'_

 _He paused._

 _It had been a while since he heard 'that' voice._

' _You can't. …Look at him. …He's been through enough.'_

' _So I'll put him out of his misery', I debated._

' _Help him.'_

 _I sneered._

' _Like how you couldn't help 'him'…'_

 _I clenched my fists._

 _The voice thought that this was some sort of chance at redemption._

 _I looked at the kid._

 _He was scrawny. He looked to be about 15. He had black hair. His skin was pale._

 _Those eyes…_

 _I saw myself in them._

 _There came sirens._

 _Fuck. 'He' probably decided to call the cops on me again._

 _I didn't have time to debate._

 _I picked the kid up, throwing him over my shoulder, and took off into the night._

 _I would decide his fate later on._


	8. Shoot To Kill

Biff didn't have to drive far, as he noticed a couple squad-cars were already parked near an alley. The street was familiar, and he realized it was the same street where that truck had crashed.

There was an ambulance too. Had there been another accident?

Pulling over, the rookie ran onto the scene. There were blood-stains all over the back of the alley; one of his comrades was radioing for a forensics team, as one of the bodies had been completely massacred- getting a good look, Biff saw that the victim's face had been ripped off, his ribcage gushing blood as a few entrails had been torn out.

The other victim was barely alive, being loaded into the ambulance, suffering a head-injury and fractured ribs- one of the officers was saying that being in a dumpster shielded him from severe damage.

He looked at the ground, seeing bloodied pawprints leading towards another bloodstain on the pavement. He grimaced, shaking his head. _Why can't he just listen and stay away?_ Biff questioned.

"Rookie, what're you doing out? I thought it was your night off?" One of the officers asked him.

"Vigor disappeared- he's that kid we found. Someone broke into my house- I thought it was just one, but they had a partner… they knocked me out, and drugged Vigor, taking him away," he looked at the blood stain on the pavement. "I think they might have been those men who kidnapped him before. I think… I think they came down here, probably to make a secret exchange…"

The officer looked at the pavement. "Well… doesn't look like that exchange happened. We'll question the guy we're taking to the hospital, now."

"What about Vigor?" He continued to look at the pavement.

There was another trail of paw-prints, leading out the alley, fading away until there were none left, as if the blood dried quick.

"Sorry, son… but it looks like that beast running through town got him, too." The officer answered.

Biff only stared, wanting to scream and shout and curse… his fists were shaking…

His comrade cleared his throat. "Rookie, just keep in mind- you can't let your emotions distract you from the job. For all we know, these could have been some entirely different guys- probably a couple of thugs lingering about. Vigor might still be out there- but you got to keep your head clear."

Biff drew in a deep breath. "Right… Who called this in, anyway?"

"Some old woman living in an upstairs apartment- claimed she heard gunshots and screaming from this alley and wanted someone to investigate ASAP. …Though, now that we have a bit of evidence that this is no regular animal-attack, we may be taking desperate measures. Chief said if this happened again, it's an STK situation."

The rookie sighed. STK meant 'Shoot to Kill'. He didn't want that… but he didn't want any more innocent people to get hurt- even if the last two weren't written as 'innocent' just yet.

"I'll have the boys keep an eye out for Vigor, too. Who knows? He probably escaped again- if he can get loose while missing a pint of blood, he could probably beat 'em senseless and hijack their car,"

Biff only nodded, returning to his squad car. "I'm going to look around."

The officer nodded, watching the rookie drive off.

Biff drove, keeping an eye out for Vigor or any shady characters, trying to keep his mind clear.

It wasn't easy.

He kept seeing the blood in that alley…

He pounded his fist on the dashboard. "Dammit!"

Why couldn't his friend just listen for once?


	9. Where Am I?

Howling was in my dreams this time.

There was no fire- at least, not for long. My nightmare started out aflame, as usual… then it changed. My dreams barely shifted gears, so I was curious enough not to wake up.

Seconds later, I wished I had. I was somewhere dark, hearing nothing but snarling and howling. Endless howling.

Then a voice. _"I got you now…!"_

Deep. Menacing. Demanding.

It sounded like Cain…

That was my first fear when I woke up.

Maybe everything in the alley was just a nightmare…

Cain probably sealed the deal, and everything else was just garbled delusions…

I would have hoped so, but I couldn't decide what was worse- that it was either just a nightmare, or that I did see something kill the two bastards…

…and it was going to kill me.

…

Wasn't it?

I felt confused, taking in my surroundings. My new wound was bandaged tightly. I was lying on a mattress, covered by a thin blanket. My head hurt like crazy, and my body still felt numb from the morphine that was injected into me.

I looked around the room. It was too dark to see anything.

There was a window, but it was hidden behind curtains. It looked like it was boarded up from the inside.

Where am I?

"Hello…?" I tried to call out, but my throat was dry, my voice coming out as a whisper. I swallowed a bit, trying to speak up. "Is anyone here…?"

There was nothing but silence.

Yet I could still sense someone moving in the shadows.

"Can you please tell me where I am?"

No answer.

I felt panic. Who brought me here? Where was 'here'? And why wasn't anyone answering?

I began to sit up… but my body protested, out of strength, and I ended up lying back.

"Don't move,"

I flinched, hearing a deep voice speak. I looked in the direction it came from. "W-Who said that? Who's there?!"

"Calm down. You need to sleep off the drug. You probably won't be able to move for a few more hours."

That didn't answer my question. "Who are you, and why am I here?"

"I'm the owner of this cabin. I brought you here after finding you in bad shape."

"W-Why didn't you take me to the hospital, or call the police…?"

"I don't have a phone, and as far as we were from the hospital, you would have bled to death."

"You could have gotten help…"

"Are you going to keep back-talking, or should I cast you out?!" The growl in his voice made me cringe. As if to catch himself, he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. My people skills are not that great- I'm a hermit. I've been living out here alone for the last seven years." He began walking away. "Get some rest. Once you're well enough, you can go back to town."

"W-Wait… What's your name?"

There was a pause, before he answered. "Mandible Visage."

"I'm Vigor…"

He had left the room before I could finish.

My heart continued to pound. As vague as my 'host' was, I did not feel reassured; something in my gut told me I was still in danger… maybe worse than before.

I wanted to call out, to get out… but I couldn't move.

My mind was growing foggy. The drug wasn't out of my system yet.

I didn't want to fall back to sleep…

I had no choice.


	10. Intentions

_~Third Person Perspective~_

' _Why did I spare him? Why did I help him?'_

 _Mandible thought these questions over and over, but could not find a clear answer._

 _He had bandaged the boy's wounds- not out of a kind heart, but to cover the scent of blood. Three to five layers of gauze covered the kid's injuries, yet he could still smell it… the bitter-sweet taste was practically in his mouth. It was like a rare beverage he had been longing to drink…_

 _Yet he was still alive._

 _More importantly, in the den of a monster._

' _Why?'_

 _Why had he brought him to his refuge?_

" _Once you're well enough, you can walk back to town."_

 _It was more than 200 miles from town. The forest that surrounded them was thick. He could hitchhike from the highway… but first he would have to cross the river._

 _Even if it wasn't so difficult, the kid would have trouble anyway. He was pretty thin to begin with, and pumped with a lot of morphine- it was amazing he didn't die from the dosage, as small as he was. Judging from his blood-sugar, it seemed the lad was also on his way to recovery, having been malnourished for so long._

 _He remembered seeing the kid one month ago. He always remembered the details of every full moon night._

 _As sickly as the kid looked then, he probably had several more weeks before he could be in a healthy shape. Sure, he could probably walk a bit- but he didn't have enough stamina to run… especially since he was in the presence of a werewolf. If he took one look at Mandible, the kid would probably break into a sprint… then pass out before he could reach the front door. Hell, he would probably fall down the stairs in his haste!_

 _Maybe that's why Mandible kept him alive. To help him recover his health._

 _Then he could eat him._

 _His 'guest' would be a lot more filling with more meat on his bones…_

' _That isn't the reason,' that voice in the back of his mind firmly stated. 'You need to make up for-'_

' _Shut up.' Mandible thought, cutting him off. He then went back inside._

 _Down in the basement was a meat-locker, where he slaughtered deer, elk, moose, rabbits, foxes… even a couple bears to have meat on-hand. Not that it satisfied his cravings, but it was enough for when he couldn't get any 'good' prey in town._

 _He skinned a deer, licking a bit of the blood off the knife afterwards. It wasn't enough. He wanted that boy's… If he got even a drop of it, he felt it would set him for life- his blood smelled like one-of-a-kind, the kind he wanted and would never find again, like a fine wine that was only made once._

 _He turned around at this thought, going over to a refrigerator. It was stocked with red wine; when blood was on his mind too much, he would drink a bottle. The sour taste helped erase the taste of blood, only a bit; the alcohol dimmed his senses so he couldn't let his thirst screw with him; the sweet taste was a good substitute for blood._

 _Downing a bottle, he returned to skinning the deer, then grabbed a carving knife to slice the meat, cutting it into small portions to cook. He had never cooked before, being used to taking his meat raw, but he had a slight memory of what cooked meat was like._

 _Discarding the remains and taking the morsels up to the kitchen, he set the meat portions on the table. He looked around the kitchen then… realizing he didn't have much to offer to his 'guest' outside of meat and water. He looked in the fridge, seeing old bread that had grown blue, fuzzy mold, milk that now turned to rotten cottage-cheese, and other produce that had long been forgotten since he first came out here. It didn't surprise him- all that stuff was for his human-half, who had been long-gone for ages._

 _He would have to make another raid in the city, if he wanted to keep his next meal well-fed._

 _He walked up the stairs, peeking through the door._

 _The kid was asleep. That morphine must've knocked him out again. Chances are, he would be bedridden for the next three days or so, until he regained his energy._

 _Nonetheless, he locked the door._

 _He couldn't risk the kid leaving too soon._


	11. Kim's Determination

It had been two days since Biff began his search, finding no evidence.

His only suspect was in the hospital; the doctor said he had fallen into a coma.

Just. Fucking. Great.

He sat in his kitchen, drinking a third cup of coffee; he hadn't been sleeping well since the night Vigor had been kidnapped.

The chief said he and the rest of the officers were looking into it… but the rookie couldn't hang on his words. They had too much to do themselves- with the human-trafficking victims that still had to be identified, small-fry criminals stealing from stores, and a few animal attacks that had happened outside of town…

He scowled at that last thought.

He planned on going out there and questioning his old friend…

He wasted gas, driving towards the road, then turning back around.

He couldn't figure out what to ask. 'Hey, buddy, someone got mauled last night and a kid I found is missing- know anything about it?'

Biff sighed. If his friend hadn't changed, he would be a great help right now…

*Slam!*

The rookie gave a jolt, hearing someone come through the door; he relaxed when a familiar voice called out, "Biff, I'm home!"

He sighed with relief.

It was just Kim.

"You're back early. Is there a problem on-campus?" Biff called in response; his friend was in the hall.

"No, I took the exam early; I told my professors that it was important that I come home- I heard about what happened last month," Kim replied, entering the room. "Poor people… I hope you managed to catch the guys who-"

She paused, seeing his face. His expression was a mix of exhaustion and depression, dark rims beneath his eyes as if he had missed a week of sleep; he hadn't shaved, and his hair looked disheveled. "…we caught one. The rest were killed," Biff muttered.

Kim bit her lip. "…it was him, wasn't it?"

Biff sighed. "I wish I could say it wasn't, but the evidence was all over the place. …Thankfully, some of the victims survived- one of them came home with me. He was the only surviving one who wasn't traumatized into silence. Everyone called him Vigor."

Kim looked around. "Is he here, now?" Judging from her friend's dark expression, she found it was the wrong question to ask. "…What happened?"

"Two men broke into my house. I thought it was one, but while I was chasing after him a buddy of his managed to slip inside and catch me from behind. They took Vigor- but didn't get very far. I think they stopped in an alley, and were attacked… one of them is dead, the other is in a coma, and Vigor is missing," Biff explained, cutting to the chase- it was easy to do so with Kim. He could tell her anything.

Kim sat down, looking at her hands. "…so you think he took him?"

"I'm not sure, yet- but I can't stop thinking that's the case. It was a full moon when it all happened, and he's been coming further into town lately." He looked over at his gear, on the table; he was looking at his gun. "…Vigor was just a kid…"

"Want me to go talk to him? He'll listen to me,"

Biff shook his head. In the past, their friend listened to Kim- they all did. But these days… "I don't think you'll get through to him."

"I can try-"

He gave her a hard glance. "Kimberly. A year ago I told him if he came into town, he would be shot on sight. I kept reminding him of that order for several months. He won't listen. He doesn't care."

"He just forgot who he really is-"

"He didn't forget anything! Ever since that day…" Biff sighed. He hated thinking about that memory. "He's changed. He knows who he once was but he wants to forget. He does all this in order to push us away first, before he loses us."

"He's not going to lose us," Kim placed a hand on his shoulder. "And you're not going to lose anyone, either. …Now, get some rest, you won't find Vigor looking like shit,"

Biff scoffed a laugh; it was always funny when Kim swore. "Alright… but as soon as I'm up, I'm going back to looking."

"Fair enough- I'll help." Kim picked up her car keys. "In the meantime, I have to run to the store. I'll be back in a few minutes,"

Biff nodded, going upstairs while his friend went to run her errand.

Kim was lost in thought as she drove.

Every time she thought about their old friend, it put her heart through agony. Ever since the day she met him, she knew he wasn't a monster. She had to help him get that through his head, and stop torturing himself.

That's what she believed.

And it was her belief that led her out of town, towards the forest.

 _Sorry, Biff. But someone has to try._ Kim thought.

Little did she know she was going to be in the woods longer than she realized.


	12. Another Escape Attempt

I don't know how long I had been asleep. When I woke up, the room was still dark- I either slept for a couple hours, or an entire day. Not that it mattered at the moment. There was only one thing on my mind.

I… really had to pee.

It was amazing I hadn't pissed in my sleep during the last two (or more) days.

I sat up, finding that my strength returned- I still felt numb in some areas, but none that would render me immobile. Either that, or my body was giving me the drive to get up and take a leak.

I stood up, moving carefully off the mattress until I was used to walking; the blood circulation in my limbs had been at a halt long enough for my legs to fall asleep, making me start out on a crawl.

Once I made it to the door… well, the panic nearly caused me to lose control of my bladder.

It was locked!

My so-called 'host' didn't want me to leave…

I gripped the knob, twisting and rattling it, desperate to get out; I began to hyperventilate- I had to get out! I…

…

I am an idiot.

Looking again, I noticed the lock was on the _inside_ of the door.

I let out a relieved chuckle, feeling a little delusional. My host probably locked it in case of a break-in! …Either that or he wasn't smart enough to know how to keep someone locked up.

Unlocking the door, I peeked out into the hall. The whole place was dark- for some reason, all the windows were boarded up… with curtains covering them. I remembered what Mandible Visage said about being a hermit- though I had doubts that hermits were this dead-set on keeping to themselves.

Moving quietly proved to be an impossible feat- the floorboards beneath me creaked and moaned with every step I took. I cringed every time, looking around for any signs of my mysterious host. Having been locked up in the dark for ages somehow helped me grow accustomed to moving in the dark, as my eyes were able to make out a few things.

I was standing in an upstairs hallway; a railing across from my room gave me this hunch, as I used it to feel my way through the cabin. There was a set of stairs that led downward, another room down one end of the hall; down the other there was a boarded-up screen-door, letting in bits of moonlight through some cracks.

Going out that door wouldn't be the ideal escape route, I figured, since I was on the second-floor; not only that, but it seemed to be nailed in-place good, as if Mandible didn't want anyone coming through it.

My stomach gave an ache, reminding me of my current mission.

It would have to wait. I wanted to find an exit to this place before I thought about looking for the bathroom.

As I walked on, though, thoughts of finding the toilet were forgotten- I actually was a bit afraid to see what it would look like, considering the cabin was a disaster.

Over the railing, I peered down into the living room… though that's not what I'd have called it. The furniture was torn, shredded newspapers were littered around the floor, and some sort of stench lingered in the air (what it was I did not know, it was too foul to name).

Despite the morbid display, I made my way towards the stairs, gripping the railing tightly as I carefully tested each step. I noticed a few cracks in the steps…

…and claw marks on the walls.

My nerves began to rack, my body trembling. I kept my breathing steady, sweat forming underneath my bangs. Perhaps this was just the cause of an animal attack. Yeah, that would explain why the place was boarded up so tight. Wild animals must have found their way in here…

Except… wait…

I counted the claw-marks. Five.

I searched my mind, trying to figure out what kind of wild animal had five claws.

Animals…

…

There was a faint memory in the shadowed recesses of my mind…

*creeaaak*

I gasped, giving a jolt and looking around until I noticed I stepped on a loose step in the middle of the stairs. I rested a hand on my racing heart. Get a grip, Vigor! Even if the situation seemed grim, I had to keep calm. No one got out of a desperate situation by freaking out!

And I had been through plenty enough to be prepared to am-scray with all my wits in-check.

I looked around the room. There was a door across the living room, the only one not boarded shut. I let out a sigh of relief, making my way over, while keeping my eyes and ears strained for any sign of my host.

Locked. I should have figured.

However, this door didn't have an inside lock. Rather, it had a deadbolt… three feet above my head. Trying in vain I reached for it; I tried jumping, but the action caused my legs to buckle- I wasn't fit enough for any movement outside of walking. I looked around for something to stand on- a chair, a table, a box of some sort…

As I searched the room for something that was still stable, my eyes fell on a few shreds of newspapers.

 _-attacks outside of town increase-_

 _The biggest Spring Break Beach Party ever to be held will be taking place in Miami this summer…_

 _-Michael Bay had this to say about his latest Transformers film: "It's going to be the final chapter of the film reboot, and it's sure to blow everyone's"..._

 _Yankees prepare for World Series…_

 _Famous teens capture maniac-_

 _When questioned about turning the famous novel into a TV franchise, the author claimed…_

 _Suspicions arise about the Russian government launching dirt-bomb!_

 _-fire, much to their grief…_

 _Kittens for sale. If interested, call Matt at 473-92…_

 _-vanished from the world, whereabouts unknown._

That was all I could find. The rest of the pieces were ripped beyond reading. I shook my head, knowing I had to focus on finding a way out.

The front door was locked… yet Mandible had yet to show up anywhere.

Either he was incredibly stealthy, or he had gone out.

Hermits liked to hunt, right? And night-time was the best time to hunt, right?

That meant he had to have gone out a different way.

…

Right?

I walked across the living room. There was a bathroom- since my host was out, I decided to use it while I could.

I stepped inside, finding that, unlike the rest of the house, the place seemed clean- as if it had never been used… though, judging from the grime on the toilet-seat and how brown the water was inside, I could understand why. Despite my nagging bladder, I decided to hold it a little longer instead of risking herpes.

I looked across the living room one last time; the only plausible escape route was a fireplace, but in my state there was no way I could pull a Chris Cringle and climb through the chimney. (Mandible probably blocked it off, anyhow).

I continued on, walking through an archway leading to a kitchen area… the foul stench was strong here. By this point, I finally figured what it was.

Meat.

Rotting meat.

It was coming from an open door leading down into a cellar…

…and that's when I noticed blood all over the floor.

I stumbled back in alarm, bumping into the wall, my breathing turned rapid. _It's from an animal. It has to be. He hunts._ I told myself, looking around quickly.

There was a flaw in my reasoning.

If he was a hunter… where were his guns?

I didn't see a gun-rack anywhere; I didn't see a closet where he could keep them. Did he keep them in the basement? Not exactly very wise, if this place had been invaded by a vicious, five-clawed animal…

My eyes caught sight of another door- the screen of it boarded, of course, but it was unlocked. Without hesitation, I hurried over to it-

*click*

The handle began to turn.

Someone was coming in…

Turning around, I quickly doubled-back, heading back into the living room.

*creeeaaaaaak-thud*

The sound of the door swinging open and hitting the wall made my blood freeze. Forcing myself to remain calm, I snuck over to the stairs.

*slam!*

The door was shut now; I heard the shuffling of footsteps and a fridge door opening.

My knees were shaking. I looked up at the steps- there was no way I could make it back to my room quick enough; even if I could, there were too many creaking floorboards that would give me away.

*creeaak*

A floorboard behind me gave way; a shadow creeped across the floor.

I looked around for a hiding-spot; making haste, I ran beneath the stairs, crouching low. I covered my mouth, stifling my breathing, praying to God that I would not be found.

I looked through the gaps in the steps; my host was already walking forth, provoking me to go rigid.

He was larger than I assumed, the shape of his form masculine and standing to be eight feet tall… and that's judging from how low I was ducked down.

Then he began to ascend the stairs…

Oh, shit…

Through the gap, I saw a furry, claw-toed foot appear on the step right in front of my face. Another stepped onto the one above my head… behind them, I made out a long furry tail…

 _This… no… it can't be possible!_ I thought, straining not to emit a single gasp.

It… whatever 'it' was… continued up the steps.

I held my breath, waiting until it neared the top before crawling out; keeping crouched and looking up at the steps, I made my way towards the kitchen. The creature blended in with the shadows at the top of the steps, but I could make out its tail- it still had its back to me…

It stopped. "What the…?" I heard it gasp… and it bolted straight towards my room.

I realized I made the mistake of leaving my door open… and quickly bolted towards the back door.

There came growls and stomps from upstairs. _"Where are you?!"_ Mandible's voice bellowed.

I gripped the doorknob, pulling with all my might.

A rattling sound alarmed me… and I found that the beast had padlocked the door shut!

Fuck!

There came the sound of clawed footsteps running down the hall-

*THUD!*

…or rather, jumping over the railing and landing in the living room. Short growls and snarls were heard, with the sound of furniture being tipped over and thrown to the side- the monster was looking for me, sniffing everywhere I had walked.

It wouldn't be long before it followed my scent to where I stood.

I looked towards the cellar.

It was a stupid idea, going deeper into the cabin… but with the heavy stench, it would help keep me hidden from Mandible.

Timing myself to the sound of furniture crashing against the floor, I leaped from the door towards the cellar's entrance- if I walked, the creature would surely trace my footsteps; if I jumped, I would leave 'gaps' in my trail, throwing him off.

I ran down the stairs, my eyes watering from the rotting scent of raw meat. Once I made it to the bottom, I felt like vomiting- blood was everywhere, dead animal carcasses hanging by meat hooks, and bones littered the ground… a deer's head lay not too far from me.

Pounding footsteps came from the kitchen. Holding my breath, I moved further into the cellar, ducking behind the lifeless corpses, ducking behind a large freezer box in the back.

All was quiet, outside the footsteps overhead. I kept my mouth covered, tears running down my face, once again praying to God to keep me safe. My whole body was shaking, my stomach ached, and I felt as if I would pass out either from lack of breath or anxiety.

Until…

*Creak!*

*SLAM!*

The back door slammed shut. Relief swept over me, and I walked out of my hiding spot.

There was a bloodied knife on a table. I grabbed it, knowing I would need it.

I climbed the stairs quietly, my mind racing on what to do. It would be suicide to run outside with the monster lurking out there. Locking the door would prove useless- as massive as it appeared, it would probably break it off its hinges.

I paused near the top of the stairs, counting to 20. The beast was probably far away from the cabin by now, searching for me outside. I gripped the knife tightly- I would have to leave through the back-door and make a break for it, careful not to encounter the creature.

I re-entered the kitchen, looking around in caution. I drew in a deep breath, then ran to the door, prying it open wide and running out-

" _Where do you think you're going?!"_

"Agh!" I cried, feeling a strong grip on my shoulder… claws nearly tearing into my skin.

*Thud!*

I was yanked back and thrown onto the floor; the knife I had held fell from my hand, having landed with a clatter outside… my exit blocked by a large figure.

I looked up in horror. In the moonlight, I saw Mandible Visage for what he truly was…

Fur everywhere. Claws sticking out. A single fang glistening. Red eyes glaring right into mine…

I cried out as the werewolf reached for my throat-


	13. The Bargain is Made

"Did you think I was stupid enough to fall for a trick like that? Thought that hiding in the cellar would hide your scent? I could smell you in a compost heap, you dumbass!" Mandible snarled, lifting me up by the shirt while slamming the door shut. As hard as he swung it, it was a shock he didn't knock the whole wall down.

I began to hyperventilate, trembling in his grip. I could see the bloodlust in his eyes, as well as my own frightened expression. All blood drained from my face, tears leaking out of my eyes…

There came a dribbling sound, followed by yet another sour smell.

Pausing, the werewolf looked down. I followed his gaze, finding that in my moment of fear, I lost control of my bladder and pissed myself.

"Yeesh…!" Mandible sneered, dropping me onto the floor. I stumbled to my feet, backing away to turn and run, but the beast rushed toward me, blocking my path and leering close, forcing me to back towards a corner. "Honestly, is this any way to show gratitude to your host? I take you in, I bandage your wounds, I go out to get food to help you regain your strength… and what thanks do I get? Some fucker lurking around my house, trying to pull a knife on me, and pissing on my floor!"

I couldn't find my voice; his tone felt like it was strangling me, I could hardly breathe.

"All I said was to stay in bed, sleep off that drug, until you were strong enough to leave. Did you think you'd get far in the shape you're in?! You wouldn't even made it five yards before you passed out!" He scowled, baring the rest of his fangs. "I can't let you leave now… It's a shame, you would have been the first I let live-"

"I-I-I'm sorry!" I whimpered, my throat dry. "Please… I-I won't tell anyone about this! They wouldn't believe me anyway!"

Mandible only looked at me, smirking as if he found my begging amusing. "I can't trust your word. You didn't even trust your host who rescued you. I can't take the slightest risk; people aren't exactly prone to compassion when they meet a werewolf- they would shoot me first, and ask questions later. I'm not taking any chances letting you live,"

He stuck out his claws, raising his paw slowly, as if giving me a few seconds to say a prayer for my immortal soul.

I began to sob. I remembered my promise to Sunny, to keep strong and stay alive… well, one half of that promise couldn't be kept.

"Please… I'll do anything!" I cried, giving that bargain everyone would give when they were close to death. "Just let me live!"

Mandible paused, a look in his eyes of anticipation- like he was expecting my plea. "Is that so…?" he repeated, lowering his paw and rubbing his chin, as if considering my words. He shook his head, pacing around me. "I can't think of anything you could do for me- you're inobedient, weak, and untrustworthy… Killing you sounds like the more logical reasoning."

"I'll listen to you! I-I'll take an oath if I have to!"

He scoffed. "I told you, I can't trust your word. You'd rat me out to the authorities, friends, family- whoever the hell you find."

I winced. "…but… I don't know anyone…"

The werewolf sneered. "I doubt that. Those men you were with seemed to know you-"

"They kidnapped me!" I snapped, losing control of my nerves as I thought back to that night. Fire flashed through my memory. "…I was kidnapped a long time ago... locked in the dark for years… I don't even know my real name… I-I was rescued, but… they caught me again… just when I had a chance to figure things out…"

I looked up at him, my eyes filled with imploring.

He was looking down on me, nonchalant but listening.

"Please… I need to remember… I need to live… spare me, and I'll do whatever you want…" I whispered, bowing my head and letting my tears hit the floor.

Silence filled the room.

I held still, outside of my trepidation, as I waited for a response. He hadn't killed me yet, so that meant he was thinking it over…

At least, that's what I hoped.

…

I suppose he already had an idea in mind, once he gave his retort.

"Alright, I'll spare your life… on one condition." Mandible stated, crossing his arms. "You are not to leave this cabin. Ever."

I looked up at him with wide eyes. "W-What?" I gasped.

"That is the bargain. You will stay here as my slave; do as I say, as you said you would. When I say 'jump', you say how high- that sort of thing."

"B-But… I can't stay! I have to go-!"

He gave me a sharp look. "Go where? You said you don't even know who you are, and you don't know anyone… You weren't lying, were you?"

I thought about Biff. I did know someone… somewhat. But I couldn't let Mandible know that- not only would he kill me, but he would probably kill him, too.

Biff was probably looking for me… unless…

…

…unless Cain killed him…

"No… there's no one…" I whispered, as realization hit me. I had nothing… "I'll stay…"

"Good," Mandible replied, approaching me once more… a dark look in his eye.

I stepped back, feeling regret immediately; it was as if I signed a contract with a demon! Mandible only continued to look at me, that bloodlust still in his gaze, watching me as if waiting for me to change my mind… just so he could devour me.

 _What have I done?_

I pressed my back against the wall, trembling in fright as the beast loomed over me. My heart pounded in my chest, as if wanting to burst out before it could be ripped out. I wanted to run, but the capability had been forgotten after my blood froze.

"Don't think I'm letting you off easy. One slip-up, and you'll be hanging in the cellar with the rest of the corpses," the monster growled, smirking wickedly; he leaned close, mockingly placing the tip of his index claw underneath my chin, pressing the skin but not puncturing it.

I shivered as he forced me to look into his red eyes.

"From now on, I own you."

He then grabbed me by the shirt, pulling me forth; he then grabbed an old rag off the counter and slapped it in my hand, pointing to the floor.

"You can start by cleaning up your own piss. …Get to it!"

I gave a jolt, quickly hurrying to the spot and falling to my knees, wiping up the puddle; the rag was small for the puddle, and I turned to Mandible. "I-I need something bigger…" I whimpered.

The werewolf sneered, storming over and grabbing me by the arm, pulling me up. I gasped.

*rrrriiiiiipppp!*

He tore the front of my shirt, then pulled the rest off, forcing me to take my arms out of the sleeves. He then shoved the bundle of torn fabric into my arms. "Use that." He grunted.

I looked down at the shirt, shivering…

"NOW!"

Gasping, I fell back onto my knees, placing the bundle on the puddle, soaking up the urine to the best of my ability. Once the floor was dry, I stood up.

"Guh!" I yelped, as Mandible pushed my back, forcing me towards the living room.

"Now get upstairs! And no leaving your room unless I say so!" Mandible snapped, hot on my heels as he herded me up the stairs.

Within seconds I was back in my bedroom.

The werewolf stood by the doorway, smirking as he grabbed the knob. "I'll call you when I need something else done. Rest well, _my slave_."

*SLAM!*

I was locked away in darkness once more.

I stood there, lost in my thoughts.

…

I made it my goal to stay strong, vowing never to break.

But my vow had been broken.

I had escaped one prison only to end up in another.

And if I didn't comply to every order I was given, I would die.

After all I had been through… after all I had lost… after coming so close to being free… I ended up losing it all. Friends. Memories. Hope.

I collapsed on my mattress in tears.

My will had been broken.


	14. A Suspicious Raid

_~Third Person POV~_

Biff drove around town that afternoon. Kim's car was nowhere in sight.

He sighed heavily. He knew where she was. Perhaps he should start driving on the 'closed' road- the quickest route out to the cabin- and cut her off before she got there.

Her courage was admirable- a heart as strong as hers could break a diamond. But she wasn't thinking clearly- she only wanted to believe that part of their old friend was still alive, deep down in that dark void where his heart beat now…

He didn't want her to learn the truth the hard way. He didn't want to lose his best friend- the love of his life.

Back in their highschool days, when they were a bunch of 16-year-olds ending up in some adventure, they always stood side-by-side; if they got captured or in a tight situation, he would be thinking up a plan to get them out; if they were stuck, he would stand by her, ready to defend her if some goon tried to lay a hand on her…

But he never had to. Their friends managed to come through for them every time and get them out; the werewolf always managed to keep them out of danger.

…Now he _is_ the danger.

And Pugs…

Biff winced, unable to forget that night… he and Kim running towards the ruins of a building when one of their escape-plans went horribly wrong; there sat their friend, having reverted human, covered in blood, crying as he held the fedora, shaking and demanding what happened.

It was then Biff and Kim had to tell him the truth about his 'other' identity…

They could have lied. They _should_ have. Maybe then the pain wouldn't hurt him so much…

But they couldn't. Even if they did, his subconscious would remember.

The truth hurt like a knife. The proof was all over- blood stains, claw marks, the panicked scream they heard before the building crumbled…the fedora was the only thing that remained.

Biff increased the speed, heading to the highway; he didn't want the same fate for Kim.

There came a crackling on the radio just then. " _Yo, Rookie, come in!"_ It was Officer Billings. Normally he never personally radioed Biff… unless…

"Rookie in," Biff answered through his transmitter. "What's going on?"

" _Get down to the market on 3_ _rd_ _/Elm, pronto! …Seems like that hairball struck again…"_

The young officer sighed heavily. "On my way," He turned down the street, heading to the store; on the bright side, if the werewolf had struck that evening, it meant he wouldn't be at the cabin until after sunrise tomorrow, so Kim would be safe. He never went on the roads, so she wouldn't cross paths with him, either.

That didn't mean Biff wouldn't go looking for her, though. Route 32 was always filled with trouble, the highway through the forest connecting to a dirt-road to an abandoned campground; said campground served as a hangout spot for potheads and thugs. The site was clear out of the city limits—so long as no forest fires were started, the cops barely had to go out there. …That, and with a werewolf close by, gangster activity was at a stand-still.

Apparently some thugs started a rumor about a few of his buddies being found dead… in pieces. One had his head ripped off, while another had his organs strung around some bushes; another was impaled through the throat hanging from a branch. No one believed the rumor, until a few more people began to go missing- mostly thugs who were leaving the campsite after dark, or pot-heads that walked off stoned into the woods.

Little did they know those rumors were true. Biff never forgot when a few gangsters actually came running into town- they looked like shit, sweaty and exhausted as if they ran the whole way. He learned they did, after some 'monster' crushed one of their buddies with their car. They had to be sent away, the cops claiming they were just high and seeing things- in order to keep the public from panicking…

But thugs still went out to the campsite. Why, he didn't know; the station would just receive reports about secret drug-deals, rapes, and murders that occurred in or near the area… but they didn't do anything about it. The police chief, Bergens, claimed as long as it didn't happen in their city limits, it wasn't their problem. (That, and claimed 'justice' would be served as long as 'the beast' killed the thugs).

Biff gripped the steering wheel as he thought about this. Chief Bergens was one of 'those' cops that cared about saving face than civilians. As long as the city didn't know that a once-heroic werewolf gone-savage was lurking nearby, everyone would believe the force was doing a good job protecting the town, and Bergens would get the credit.

As long as the police could make up a good alibi for the attacks, the chief could keep his job.

But Biff knew sooner or later they would have to tell the public the truth…

The only reason he never said a word was because he didn't want his old friend to get hurt…

At this rate, however, he knew he couldn't protect his friend forever- not as long as he kept causing trouble. It was as if he wanted to get hunted…

The rookie shook his head, forcing himself to clear his mind of campsite thugs, corrupt Bergens, and his rogue friend. He had to focus on two things: his job, and his girlfriend.

Pulling up to the store, he wasn't prepared for the surprise he was about to receive.

The back door had been ripped off its hinges; the security camera was smashed, so no one could tell who (or 'what') broke into the store. "What did he do?" Biff asked Billings as he met up with the officer by the door.

"Come see for yourself," Billings replied, leading Biff inside.

The young officer braced himself for another bloody scene- bodies lying around, organs strung out, aisle-shelves either knocked over or thrown into walls… fuck, maybe the werewolf somehow managed to throw a delivery truck through the roof!

Yet nothing of the sort was seen. …Actually, the store still seemed to be in good shape! The manager was talking to another officer about some items that were stolen; if it weren't for the muddied paw-prints trailing all over the store, the scene looked like a case of common shoplifting.

Biff blinked. "Huh? …He didn't kill anyone?" he asked in a whisper.

"Nope. Just took some vegetables, bread, milk, and fruit, according to the inventory- at least a month's worth. What's he up to, Dexter?" Billings questioned.

"I don't know… If he was going to steal something, he'd raid the meat department," Biff looked at the paw-prints on the ground. Same size, same shape, and same kind of dirt found in the woods; he could recognize the granules, as his friend, Sherman, was an expert at examining dirt, knowing what location; he lent a few tips to Biff back in the day when he was still training at the academy after highschool.

…That is, before he lost himself in guilt…

"You don't think there's… another one, do you?" Billings asked.

Biff shook his head. "No. It's him, alright…" he stood up straight. "I'll go question him. I'm heading out that way-"

"Heading out where?" Another officer, Nancy, asked.

"Out on Route 32… A friend of mine is on the road, I'm going to go meet up with her." Biff answered.

Nancy shook her head. "You'll both be disappointed, then. That route's been shut down as of last week,"

Biff arched an eyebrow. "What?! This is the first I've heard of it!"

"Yeah. The chief claimed it would help keep some trio of gang-bangers from coming back into town. They've been causing a bunch of trouble- catching passerby via faking an accident or something, but we never found a trace on them, so Bergens just closed the road. If they can't get into town, they can't nab anyone- or so he believes (dumbass),"

The rookie growled in frustration. "That jackass is going to fuck up everything…" he began to walk out. "I gotta go find Kim."

"Rookie, wait." Billings said, walking over. He drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "…We have officers set up on all sides of town. We're going to carry out that order to shoot to kill- unless you tell us where he is."

Biff looked at the ground. He thought about Kim…

His thoughts wandered to Puggsy…

"Shoot if you have to," The rookie replied. "…If he's that stubborn to ignore my warning again,"

With that, he left.

The decision was up to the werewolf now. If he wanted to keep killing people and start robbing stores, he brought his death upon himself.

Though that last part puzzled him. He never broke into a store- especially for food that wasn't meat. And it wasn't a full moon…

 _What is he up to?_ Biff wondered, driving out of town.


	15. Slave

When I woke up the next morning (amazed that I managed to fall asleep at all), I found myself in darkness, with little light shining in through cracks in a boarded-up window. I sat up, pulling an old blanket around me, remembering my shirt had been ripped off my shoulders.

I shuddered.

So it wasn't a nightmare, or a delusion caused by drugs.

I was actually locked in a cabin with a werewolf… and in exchange for my life, had to be his slave.

Thinking about it now, being killed was better than surrendering my pride to work for some beast.

…

But at the same time, I had to recover my memories. I have this feeling that when people die they see their memories of their life play by- but what would the point be, if I couldn't recall those memories at all? Or suppose I could, and felt I made a grave mistake leaving behind a family who was probably still looking for me.

…

Then again, was being a slave to a werewolf really worth it?

My thoughts were interrupted when there came a creaking sound, and Mandible entered the room. "Oh good, you're up- I was worried I'd have to throw you off the mattress," the beast cracked. In his hand was a plate of half-cooked meat, a couple pieces of celery, and grapes. He set it on a dusty end-table across the room. "Here, eat up, then you can get to work."

I looked at the plate, poking the meat a little. "The meat isn't cooked enough…" I pointed out.

He gave me a sharp glare. "Do you know how to cook?"

I thought a moment. Three weeks into my stay, Biff had taught me how to cook a few things, in order to see if it would help jog my memory. It didn't, but at least I knew how to prepare my own meals. "A little," I replied to Mandible.

"Then you can cook your own meal next time. Shut up and eat!"

I sighed, eating the food before me. The celery and grapes, though needing rinsed, were fine. The meat tasted bland save for the blood that leaked out of the raw portions, and I had a feeling I would be having tapeworm before long.

I ate only a little, having no appetite. It also didn't help that Mandible was watching me the whole time. "I'm not very hungry," I said, when he was glaring at me for not finishing.

"Done? Then get to work. Take that plate and go clean it with the rest of the dishes," he gruffly ordered, turning towards the doorway.

"Um…"

He paused, looking over his shoulder, glaring at me still. I bit my lip, feeling as if a single word would cause me to get my throat ripped out.

"Can I have a shirt, please?" I asked, knowing I would have to keep polite if I wanted to avoid trouble.

Mandible sighed, as if he had heard my request a thousand times. He then walked over to a closet, which I had yet to notice (it was easy to miss in a dark room), and jerked open the door. Inside were several old T-shirts, mostly white. He pulled one off a hanger and threw it at me. "Here," he muttered.

I pulled on the shirt… finding it a bit large on me. I understood the length, as it came to my hips- I wasn't that tall, my years of captivity causing a stunt in my growth, no doubt. But by size, it seemed it could fit a normal-slimmed person. On me, it barely hugged my waist- meaning either it was made for someone much older, or I was more underweight than the doctors believed.

"What, are you going to model or something? Get going!" Mandible snapped, when I took ten seconds too-long to examine the shirt.

Hastily, I grabbed the plate and exited the room. Being back on my feet again, I was careful to keep my strength in check, especially going down the stairs. I held the plate with one hand while gripping the railing with the other, moving carefully with each step.

The werewolf walked behind me; for every three steps I took, he took one. I heard him mumbling curses under his breath about my pace, mostly about 'getting my weak ass in gear before he kicked it down the steps'. It took 30 seconds for me to get down 20 steps, and then the beast pushed me, as if urging me to hurry up.

I walked to the kitchen, preparing to scrape off my plate. "Don't waste food, idiot!" Mandible sneered, taking the meat off the plate and shoving it in his mouth; he thumbed at the fridge. "Put the rest back in the refrigerator,"

I did so, opening the fridge door and finding it stocked. Several loaves of bread, six different kinds of fruits and vegetables, 4 gallons of milk, and ten packs of cheeses were stocked on the shelves. Everything looked fresh, and it seemed it would last at least a month.

"Close the door! You're letting out cold air!"

…The question was, would I?

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

I got to work scrubbing the dishes. It was only a plate, a frying pan, and a spatula, but I still had a hell of a time.

For one thing, there wasn't any dish-soap I could use! I also had to use an old rag to scrub the dried, stuck-on bits off, which was a total pain in the ass. Didn't this creature know they made sponges for this sort of thing?

Once I dried the last dish, the werewolf ordered me to fill up an old bucket with hot water, and get to work scrubbing the floor. I did so, and looked under the sink for any kind of cleaning product. All I found was a dusty scrub-brush and a bar of soap. Making use of what I had, I threw the soap into the water, dunked in the brush, and started my labor.

The blood stains on the floor near the cellar were hard to get out. No matter how hard I scrubbed, I could still see the outline of the spots. _Just focus on getting the job done. That's all you have to do. Focus._ I told myself over and over.

Of course, it wasn't easy, considering Mandible kept staring at me the whole time. Every ten minutes or so, whenever I had to move to a different spot or refresh the water, there he would be- standing in the doorway, watching me still as a statue.

I had half the mind to turn to him and say, 'Can I help you?!', but I held my tongue. Instead, I kept my eyes on the floor, scrubbing every inch, and pretending I was alone with my work.

Yet I always felt his eyes on me, boring into my back, as if I was under his mind-control—if he blinked, I would probably escape, he must believe.

"You missed a spot," Mandible sneered, pointing at an area by the fridge. Sighing, I moved the bucket and started from that angle. "Better keep track of what you do- or need I remind you your life-line is dependent on your progress?"

I only nodded, using any strength that wasn't put into my labor to keep my mouth shut.

After the kitchen was scrubbed, he made me sweep the living room. There was a broom and dust-pan in the closet, which was a relief- at least he had some household utensils lying around. "Just sweep everything into the fireplace. I was going to burn it later, anyway." He stated.

I looked down at the pieces of ripped paper, noting how yellowed and aged they were. "How long have you've been living in this mess?" I asked as I swept. "These pages look like they're from 50 years ago!"

"Only five, mind you- and no talking on the job!"

I sighed, continuing my work, sweeping up shredded newspaper and putting it in the fireplace; when it came to dirt and debris, he made me dump it out the door- standing close by, as always, in case I tried to make a break for it.

No matter how hard I tried, ignoring the beast was a chore in itself.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

After I swept the living room, I had to clean the bathroom. It was disgusting yet a reprieve- at least I would know the toilet would be clean enough to sit on.

During the chore, a funny thought popped into my mind. Did Mandible even use the toilet, or did he go outside? I ended up cracking a smirk and snorting…

"What's so funny?" Mandible demanded, catching my short chuckle.

"N-Nothing," I gasped, covering my action with a cough. It wasn't hard, since the bathroom reeked. "It just stinks in here,"

"Then hurry up and clean before you suffocate!"

I continued doing so, forcing myself not to think up any smart-assed thoughts, reminding myself that a sense of humor might get me killed.

Once I was done with that, it was already reaching dusk. "What now?" I asked, looking around the house. "Do you want me to clean upstairs-?"

"No." Mandible said quickly and sternly. "…You just clean downstairs. There's nothing upstairs that needs worked on," he then grabbed me by the shirt, pulling me towards the back door. "You can work outside. Winter will be here soon, and I'll need firewood."

"Y-You want me to go outside and collect firewood?!" I stammered. It was then I remembered I was barefoot. "Wait, I don't have any shoes on!"

"Argghhh…!" The beast growled, storming over to the closet in the living room and throwing me an old pair of shoes. "Try to keep your clothes in-check before you start anything!"

I put on the shoes- they were big on my feet by two sizes, but as pissed off as the werewolf looked, I wasn't going to complain. I followed him outside, after watching him unlock the door, and we made our way down a deck.

The deck went around the cabin. One set of wooden steps led upward to a higher deck (perhaps connected to the second floor?). Another set, a bit shorter, led downward to an open field lined with a wired fence and 'Private Property' signs all around. Across the field was a gate; beyond the gate, a dirt road.

I followed Mandible down the steps as he led me around the cabin; we passed by a set of wooden cellar doors, though I forced myself to look away, not wanting to remember last night…

We stopped at a pile of logs; the werewolf handed me an axe. "Start chopping logs- and just a heads up, if you try to swing that thing at me, I'll be using it to chop your dick off." He said firmly.

"Understood," I replied, trying my best not to scoff. I put a log on a stump to chop it, swinging the axe overhead and hitting the wood- "Agh!"

I dropped the axe, gripping my hand; the handle of it was splintered on one side, and I ended up cutting my hand.

"What did you do wrong n-" Mandible began to scold, but froze when he looked at my hand. There was a hypnotic look in his eyes, as if he were in a trance; drool began to form around his mouth. He grabbed my arm, bringing my hand close to his face.

I trembled, seeing the look in his eye… how he was eyeing the blood on my hand…

Desperate, I sputtered the first thing that came to mind. "I have to go to the bathroom!"

He shook his head, looking at me. "W… What?" he asked.

"I… I really have to use the bathroom. I-I've been holding it all day… c-can I use it real quick?" I stuttered, keeping my eyes locked with his so that his gaze would not shift back to my hand.

He let go, standing up straight and turning away. "Yeah. And bandage that hand while you're in there- try not to bleed on the floor, either!" he ordered. It seemed like he was trying to hide the fact that he was close to biting my hand.

Quickly, I ran around the cabin, going back inside and rushing into the bathroom. Finding some bandages in the cabinet, I wrapped up my hand good, taking a couple breaths. That was too close.

…

I took a piss while I was in there. I wasn't really lying when I said I had been holding it in all day, my stomach aching from my constrained bladder. That, and I hadn't had a meal since this morning, having been too busy with my work to think about eating.

I walked out of the bathroom, and it was a relief to know Mandible wasn't standing around, waiting for me. I headed for the kitchen, thinking about finishing up the remains of my 'breakfast' before having to head outside…

I paused, looking up the stairs.

The werewolf had been pretty tense when I asked about cleaning up there. It was then I realized I never looked inside the other bedroom. _What is he hiding up there?_ I wondered.

It couldn't be dead bodies. He would have kept those in the cellar.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I ended up climbing the stairs. I would just look inside, go back down and run out; if the werewolf wasn't inside yet, he would probably be waiting for me outside, perhaps to avoid risk of seeing blood again and losing control.

I opened the door. It let out a low creaking sound, making me cringe; I looked over my shoulder to make sure the werewolf didn't hear the noise.

Once I was sure I was safe, I went inside the room.

…

Holy shit…

It was a total mess. Worse than what the living room had been like!

Pictures were torn on the walls. Furniture was broken. Jars filled with dirt(?) were broken on the floor. Several comic books had been torn apart, the front page reading 'Moon Man'. Pieces of what looked like a broken medal were on a scratched-up dresser. Claw marks were all over the room…

I turned to leave, until something caught my attention. There was a picture on a windowsill in a frame. The glass was broken, but part of the picture seemed clear…

I walked over and took a closer look. It was smashed in the middle, the cracks distorting the faces… but they seemed familiar. It was two people, a tall skinny teen with a short, stocky friend. I squinted... something about it just had me wondering…

Moonlight began to shine through the window, casting some light into the room… and I noticed a trunk in the corner, sitting covered in dust but otherwise being the only thing in the room not smashed or shredded.

I walked over, finding it was unlocked, and lifted the lid.

It was empty, save for a gray hat.

I arched an eyebrow, picking it up and examining it. Why would a simple hat be kept in a trunk…?

A shadow loomed over me, and I realized I had kept Mandible waiting too long.

I looked over, gasping when I saw the killer-glare in his eyes; I dropped the hat back in the trunk- right before the werewolf shoved me away, slamming it shut. "What part of 'stay downstairs' slipped your mind?!" he growled, turning towards me.

"I… I'm sorry…" I stammered, trying to think up a good excuse… but it was hard to think with his vicious gaze boring into my eyes.

"What did I say earlier?! If you wanted to live, you'd have to do as I said." He stuck out his claws. "And I said not to come up here!"

"W-Why not?!" I found myself questioning. "You didn't exactly specify why I couldn't come in here- actually, you never said anything about me not coming up at all! Just to clean downstairs!"

He loomed closer. "Are you back-talking me?!"

"No, I-I-"

"SHUT UP!" He slammed his fist down on an old nightstand, making it collapse into splinters.

I quickly backed away. My back was pinned against a scratched up dresser as he trudged forth. "W-Wait…!" I stammered. "I didn't mean-!"

" _Get the fuck out_!"

He threw a chair; had I not dodged, I would have ended up smashed against the dresser, now a pile of splinters. Quick as I could, I ran out of the room and down the stairs, rushing out the back door and towards the woods.

I did not hear the beast behind me, whether it was because of my heavy breathing or because of his stealth; I ended up looking back, slowing down in my run, my fear not giving me enough strength nor energy to keep up my sprint.

He was nowhere in sight.

I didn't find it reassuring. Couldn't werewolves blend in with their surroundings? That's how they hunted down their prey, after all- any moment he could pounce.

I kept moving, stumbling through the woods; I remembered my hunger, and scolded myself for not going to the kitchen when I had a chance, giving in to my curiosity instead.

Then again… it wasn't the first time I had been without food. When locked in the dark of my last prison, I had to go days without food; I was lucky if I got a glass of water within a day!

 _I have to keep moving._ I thought, cutting through some trees and heading uphill. After ten minutes, I ended up grabbing onto low branches and tree trunks to keep myself upright as I ran, my legs aching from my run. _C'mon… if you can run across a neighborhood covered in cuts and bruises, you can do this!_

I stopped at a river, falling to my knees once I saw how wide it was.

…

Could I swim?

Even if I knew, I wouldn't make it. The rapids were too fierce; I'd be carried downstream in a heartbeat.

I followed it upriver, hoping that it would calm down enough for me to at least try and wade across.

I sighed with relief when I saw a saving-grace; a large tree, long dead, was slanted over the river. Taking a deep breath, I began to climb it, crawling upward. Once every few seconds I looked down at the river, realizing the tree only made it halfway.

*Crack!*

I gasped as the tree began to slant downward, the dead wood unable to support the extra weight. I hurried to the end, standing up and leaping as far as I could.

*Splash!*

The water was freezing. I began to thrash, kicking and waving my arms until I surfaced, grabbing onto some roots growing from the bank and pulling myself to shore. I took some heavy breaths, crawling along before getting back on my feet, leaning against a tree and taking in my surroundings.

Still no sign of Mandible Visage.

Either I lost him… or he's just letting me run for his amusement.

Something in the distance caught my eye. Something shining in the moonlight.

A car…?

I walked towards it. As I got closer, I noticed it was parked at the side of the road, a few feet away from a 'Road Closed' sign. However, there was no driver inside, which I found strange… There were no restaurants or gas-stations as far as I could see; the vehicle looked too new to be abandoned.

There were footprints on the ground, leading around the sign and down a dirt road. I followed them, hoping the owner of the vehicle wasn't too far off and could give me a lift…

I slowed down my pace, once again taking careful note of my surroundings. If I were leading a savage werewolf to some innocent passerby…

There came voices just then, and I froze, listening.

" _Let's go check out the car, man. I bet it still has some good miles on it!"_

" _No way man. It's still a full moon! We're going to have to wait until tomorrow night,"_

" _Stop being a wimp! That monster hasn't come near the site in weeks!"_

" _Better to not take a chance than be a dumbass with his throat ripped out!"_

" _Fine, be a pussy… Heh, speaking of 'pussy', let's go see what they're going to do to that dumb bitch,"_

" _Now you're talkin'!"_

I ducked behind a tree, watching as two young men in torn jeans and dark jackets walked up a path, turning down a narrow lane. Something in my gut told me that they were trouble and I should run…

But I also knew that someone was in trouble.

Keeping to the shadows of the trees, I followed them to an old campsite. There was a small fire in the middle, a few people drinking beers; a couple women in lewd attire were making out with each other against a tree; some other brood was rubbing some guy's crotch, both of them swapping foul remarks; two other guys were sitting on a log, one of them carving some name into the other's arm like some sort of twisted tattoo.

I looked away from the sight, finding a more shocking one. There was someone tied to a pole, one of the thugs exploring her curves with his hands, while she glared and cussed at him, struggling to get free; he slapped her to be quiet.

My eyes widened once I saw her face. "Sunny…?"


	16. Bloodshed

No… It wasn't Sunny.

Getting a better look, I noticed that this girl was actually an adult woman, in her early 20's it looked like.

The thug in front of her continued with his lewd comments, groping her… up until she swung her foot up and kicked him in the crotch, the asshole falling to the ground. Once he was back on his feet he slapped her, talking about how painful her rape would be while holding a knife to her throat.

I clenched my fists. Rage boiled inside me, recalling Sunny's situation…

Without thinking, I decided to save the woman the way I couldn't save her.

I grabbed a heavy stone. While the thug was busy pushing himself against the woman, I snuck up from behind and- with the remaining strength I had left- slammed the rock into his temple as hard as I could. He fell to the ground, groaning.

I picked up the discarded knife; not knowing if my blow knocked him out, I wasn't going to waste a single moment in freeing the woman. I cut through the ropes and took the gag out of her mouth. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Vigor. Hurry, we have to get out of here," I whispered, as we turned to run into the trees.

"HEY!"

I looked over, seeing the rest of the thugs noticed our escape. "Run!" I told the woman, shoving her forth.

We barely ran ten feet before the thugs had us surrounded. One of them caught the woman from behind and pressed a cloth to her face- chloroform, I deduced, having suffered the affects of the knock-out incense when I got 'too tough' with Cain.

"So you thought you could run off with our fresh dick-hole, did you?" one thug snarled, having a switchblade out. "Sorry, half-pint, but you're going to have to get your own!"

"Let's cut his balls off- that'll teach him!" another thug snarled, as he and another grabbed me by the arms.

"Ah, just tie him up. Me and Jenny could use a new toy," One of the girl-thugs said, having her arm around another. She walked forth and started rubbing my crotch. "Hmm, I've felt bigger, but it'll do…"

"Let us both go!" I cried, thrashing.

The thug I hit with a rock stormed up, punching me in the gut, emptying my lungs of air. "Shut the fuck up, you piece of shit! Hold him down- we'll kill them both." He ordered.

"Ah, Trey, we wanted to have some fun~!" The other girl thug said. "Me and Tina were going to see if that gal's tits were bigger than ours!"

Trey looked at them, smiling. "Ain't no one with better tits than you gals… Next time, alright? I want to skin these two for giving me a hard time,"

I was thrown to the ground, my arms held down behind my back. One thug drew a gun, pressing the barrel of it upside my head. "Hasta la vista, jerk-off," he chuckled.

I shut my eyes tight, waiting for the deafening shot.

*Thud!*

Something dropped on the ground in front of me. I opened my eyes…

Seeing a headless corpse.

"HOLY MOTHER FUCK!" The thug with the gun screamed, stumbling away from me. "WHAT THE HELL?!"

"Who the fuck-?!" Trey began to stammer, until something [once again] hit him in the head.

This time, it was another head.

"B…Buster?!" Tina gasped while Jenny shrieked.

"What…?!" Trey stammered, looking close to vomiting.

I stopped paying attention, seeing something loom over the thug.

Within a second a large paw grabbed him by the throat, yanking him off the ground where he was forced to face the snarling face of Mandible Visage. He threw the thug into another.

"It's the monster!" another thug cried, being one I had followed to the site. He turned to run, but Mandible lunged, tackling him from behind.

While the thugs were in a frenzy, I hurried over to the woman, dragging her around a tree and hunching over her. I looked over, watching as the bloodshed continued.

The thug who had the gun aimed it at the werewolf, shooting at him; however his hands were shaking so bad he ended up missing. One of the bullets strayed and hit Tina in the back when she and Jenny took off running. Mandible turned and attacked him next, grabbing his arm and ripping it clean off, blood splattering while the thug screamed.

Trey and a few other thugs ran towards Mandible. "You're going down, asshole!" Trey snarled, leaping on the werewolf's back and stabbing him in the shoulder, while two other thugs grabbed his arms.

This only pissed him off. I watched as he swung his arms up, making the two thugs clutching him bash heads, breaking their skulls in the process. He then reached over and grabbed Trey by the back of the head, flipping him over and slamming him into the ground, slicing his face clean off. Mandible lunged at three other thugs who were just gawking at the site.

One thug got his innards ripped out through his stomach. Another was picked up and had his spine broken, thrown into the fire. The third repeatedly got slammed into a tree, his body tossed into the air where it now hung on tree branches twenty feet high.

Any thug that wasn't brutally killed took off into the woods, running as fast as they could to escape the werewolf's wrath.

I kept close to the woman, looking around in case any of them still hung around, waiting to ambush. Moments passed in silence, a cold wind blowing and rustling the leaves in the treetops.

Mandible took a few steady breaths, muscles still tense as if he were bracing himself for another fight. Once he was assured there was no one else to kill, he looked over at me. His eyes were glowing red, a mix of anger and intrigue in his gaze.

I held the woman close, looking down at her once, then back up at the werewolf. "They tried to hurt her… I-I had to help her…" I stammered.

"A fat lot of help you were. You'd both be dead if I didn't show up," Mandible scoffed.

I winced, his words causing a great deal of pain. It wasn't for the fact that he was being critical, but because he was right. I rushed into the site with little idea on what to do, having no strength to fight or defend the woman nor myself…

I failed in this rescue the same way I failed Sunny.

Mandible leaned down, taking the woman from my arms; I uttered a gasp, earning a sharp look in return. "Calm down. I'm just taking her back to her car," he sneered, walking away.

I followed. "You're not going to hurt her?"

"There's no reason to. She's been unconscious before I showed up, so she didn't see anything. …Hell, maybe she'll wake up and think you pulled some miracle."

"Me?"

"Yeah… (and maybe those thugs were actually saints),"

We arrived to the car. I watched as the werewolf carefully placed the woman in the back seat, making sure she was lying comfortably. Now that we were out of danger, I studied her for a moment. She was very beautiful… and I had a feeling that once she woke up, she would be the nicest woman anyone could meet.

Something caught my eye in the distance; a pair of headlights coming 10 miles away, the lights easy to see as there was nothing but pitch-black roads as far as I could tell. "Someone is coming," I said.

Mandible looked, sneered a bit, then began walking off.

I watched him a moment. He wasn't yelling at me to follow him, or running off quick to avoid being seen by anyone else.

There were options. I had an opportunity to stick around and get away. Mandible didn't want to be seen; chances were, he would probably hunt down the thugs who escaped to keep them silent. He wasn't snarling at me or even slowing down his pace, so that meant I had the choice to leave and forget.

…

I looked at the woman once more. She would have been dead by now…

I looked back at Mandible. The werewolf had saved us both.

The car was just five miles away now.

Walking up the road, I made my decision.


	17. A Deal's a Deal

Mandible was twenty steps away before he paused, turning to see Vigor right behind him. The kid was limping a bit, and looked like shit- pale, bruised, and depressed. Beyond the ravaged teen the headlights of an approaching car was drawing nearer.

"You're not staying," The werewolf questioned in observation; not that he cared- he would have hunted the kid down if he went back to town.

"I made a promise. I have to keep it," Vigor answered, a sad look in his eyes- as if keeping promises was important to him. "You also saved our lives… you're right. I couldn't fight back. I just wanted to save her so much that…"

"You couldn't think straight. The blood in your brain must've been cut off in your last kidnapping," Mandible looked back at the parked car. He, too, wanted to save the girl- but for more personal reasons. "Why did you want to save some stranger? You don't know her, do you?"

Vigor shook his head. "No… but… she reminds me of a girl I knew once- we shared a cell together… she was shot the night the truck crashed."

Mandible thought back to that night. He did remember seeing a girl lying dead in the alley- looking to be 18, having a bullet-hole in her back, so thin that it was a surprise she had any blood to leak out of her wound.

"I promised that girl I'd help her…" Vigor looked back at the car. "I wanted to do the same for that girl- but I couldn't do anything for either of them," he looked up at the werewolf. "…You're the one who saved her. …Thank you."

Mandible looked back at the parked car; the other car was just five miles away. "Yeah, well… those assholes should've known better than try to shed blood on my territory." He turned off the path. "C'mon- if you're sticking to our deal, you'd better hustle."

Vigor followed him into the trees, staying with him in the shadows. By the time the car pulled up, it would feel as if they had never been at the site at all.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

They reached the river in a matter of minutes. There was a shallow part 50 feet from where Vigor fell off a branch, so the waves weren't so choppy; the water came up to his neck, as he waded across. Mandible, in the meantime, jumped clear over to the other side, looking back and waiting for his 'servant' on the other side.

Once he reached the shore, the lad crawled out, cold and drenched. Despite he was shivering, he continued on, trying to keep up with Mandible.

Yet in a matter of minutes, his pace began to slow down; he would stop every ten steps or less to lean against a tree and catch his breath. "Hey. I said hustle." Mandible growled when he noticed the young man slumping against an old oak tree.

"I'm coming," Vigor called out- or at least tried to. Even his voice sounded worn out. He forced himself to jog… only to stumble and fall to his knees. He panted, wincing from the aches in his body, and stood up, his legs wobbling.

Mandible rolled his eyes, walking over. "Having trouble?"

"I-I'm fine. I'll try to keep up better-" Vigor stumbled forth again, this time at a face-plant angle…

Mandible caught him. "Knock it off, pipsqueak. You can't take two stops without collapsing." The werewolf stood him up, keeping a paw on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I'm okay, really…" Vigor went to walk again, but Mandible kept him in place.

"I'll have to carry you. Can't have my slave dropping dead,"

Vigor glared a bit, clenching his fists. "I can walk. Sorry if I can't keep up with a werewolf, but in case you've forgotten I haven't had a decent meal all day and had to run several miles before getting my ass kicked!"

Mandible scoffed. "If you hadn't run off, it wouldn't have happened."

"If you didn't pop a blood vessel and scare me, I wouldn't have run off!"

"Then you should have listened and stayed out of that room!"

"Well… you should have been more clear- but every time I asked a question, you acted all pissed. If you'd just calm down and control your temper, we wouldn't have any problems."

Mandible gave him a look. "I suggest you watch your attitude- keep in mind, your neck is on the line!"

Vigor looked away. "…like you even given a fuck…" he began to walk again… only to get lifted up by the shirt, forced to look at the werewolf face-to-face. "Hey!"

"If I didn't give a fuck, you think I would have saved you from those assholes? I made a deal to keep you alive, and I know how to hold up my end of a bargain. …But next time you try to run away, I'll hunt you down and kill you myself."

Vigor glared. "I won't run. …Now let me down,"

The werewolf scoffed. "I want to get back to the cabin BEFORE next week," he slung the lad over his shoulder, trudging along.

"Hey! C'mon, put me down! I said I can walk!" Vigor tried to thrash and push away, but his muscles gave out.

"Yeah, you can walk- like a dying turtle."

Vigor groaned, slumping against his shoulder. He looked around at the trees, bushes, and stones they passed, once in a while looking up at the sky, seeing it was a moonless night and the sky was lit up with stars.

He looked down at the ground, down the werewolf's back. Being carried by the beast, he felt high up, the werewolf seeming a lot bigger at this angle. He looked over at his other shoulder… noticing something odd.

"Hey… weren't you stabbed?" Vigor asked, recalling a foolish thug trying to attack the werewolf.

"Huh? …Oh, yeah. It stung like a bitch, but it never lasts. Werewolves are fast healers." Mandible answered.

Vigor thought for a moment. "…Did you follow me the whole way- or did you just track me down?"

Mandible scoffed once more. Silence filled the air for a moment, before he decided to answer. "I gave you a head start. I decided to see how far you could get before I came after you- werewolves love a good game of 'cat-and-mouse', and it's been a while since I had some decent entertainment. To be honest, I nearly lost you at the river- but then I heard all those low-lives having their orgy and figured I'd shut them up on my way to search for you. Once I found your scent, I managed to do both,"

Vigor nodded, though the werewolf could tell he didn't believe him.

Not that he'd believe the story himself. In truth, he had been following the boy the whole time- just to see how far he could get, that much was true. At the river, he thought about just jumping the boy and dragging him back…

Then he noticed Kim's car- abandoned.

He heard those gangsters talking and quickly put two and two together.

While Vigor followed them one way, Mandible went another. While the kid was trying to free the woman, the werewolf attacked the sentry. He would have attacked sooner, but he had to satisfy his craving first, devouring what he could before attacking another- using that body as a warning-sign to the others when they had their victims surrounded.

Had it been anyone else, Mandible would have just went with a slaughter, grabbed Vigor, and left the victim on their own.

The difference was this victim had been a close friend…

Perhaps the only friend who still believed he wasn't a monster. He knew Biff already lost hope, but Kim was the one who still saw a light at the end of the dark tunnel of his life.

That's why he spared her.

That was why he had to keep away from both of them.

He didn't want to kill another friend.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

They reached the cabin within the hour. "Alright, you can rest for the night, but tomorrow it's back to work. Understand?" Mandible muttered.

Only soft breathing answered him.

He looked, seeing that Vigor fell asleep.

 _Fucking amazing,_ the werewolf thought, looking at the lad. He didn't think his slave would have relaxed enough to pass out in the clutches of a beast- outside of fright, that is. Perhaps it was from exhaustion mixed with his lack of strength; the kid still didn't have that much stamina, and his body probably couldn't hold out any longer from the injuries those thugs gave him. The lack of nutrition must have played a part too. He just couldn't fight his fatigue.

That didn't mean the kid was comfortable around him, though.

He still looked scared in his sleep. His REM was racing beneath his eyelids, as if he were trying to find his way out of a nightmare.

Too bad he'd wake up and find he was still in one, Mandible figured, taking his slave up to his room and lying him on the mattress. He then went down to the other room, the door still open; he looked around at the things he had broken.

…

Before he chased after Vigor, he had been boiling with rage… then his eyes drifted to the old photo. A forgotten emotion surfaced within; a feeling of regret.

' _Go to him. Make it right.'_ The voice in his head had said.

' _There's nothing to make right,'_ Mandible thought in retort before running out to follow Vigor and watch the kid suffer. _'Everything goes wrong, anyway…'_

He shut the door, locking it this time so his slave wouldn't go poking around in things he shouldn't. He never thought he would have to in the first place; just keep the kid under his rule, make him answer to his every whim, scare him enough so that he would break down if he so much as breathed wrong. The way anyone would when at the mercy of a monster.

But this kid was different, wasn't he?

Vigor was afraid of Mandible. The werewolf knew that much. Yet still he had a sense of defiance- back-talking him the way no one else would; returning to the beast's side despite he could have just left him behind; trying to prove he was a tough guy…

Glaring at him in annoyance.

That glare…

It reminded him of…

 _Stop it!_ Mandible scolded himself. _Forget about him already! He's dead, and there's nothing I can do about it!_

He walked back down the hall, looking into his slave's room.

Vigor was out like a light, his expression still tense in his slumber.

Mandible let out a heavy breath. He would deal with the kid later; right now it was obvious his strength was at an all-time low, and it would take more than a few meals and hard work to get him back in shape, if not big enough to eat.

Like a lamb to the slaughter. That's all the kid was to him.

He went downstairs, leaving the door open.

Vigor wouldn't be running away again. That Mandible knew for certain.


	18. Is He Still Alive?

Biff pulled up to Kim's car; seeing no one in the driver's seat he scrambled out of his police car, gun in hand and surveying the area. Once everything looked clear he examined the car, seeing her in the backseat.

His face turned pink in the cheeks; her shirt had been ripped down the middle, showing her cleavage clear as day; however with the dirt, bruises and scratches she bared, he was more alarmed than flustered.

"Kim!"he called, opening the door and sitting her upright. He draped his jacket around her shoulders, covering her. "Kim… speak to me!"

Kim groaned, rubbing her head. "Ugh… not so loud… I feel like I have a hangover…" she replied. Once her mind registered, she gasped and clung to her friend. "Biff! Oh thank God you're here…!"

"How many times do I have to warn you to stay away from here? You're lucky to be alive!" He sighed, holding her close; his relief kept him from anger. "Tell me what happened. Who did this to you?"

Kim took a deep breath. "I drove out here to see F… Mandible." She let out a sigh. "The road was closed, so I tried to find the path that led to the cabin on-foot. …then I got jumped,"

"I thought you knew about the gangsters out here!"

"I did! But… I figured…" _I figured he killed them all…_ she wanted to say, but couldn't. Just thinking about how her old friend developed a craving for blood made her feel sick. "I figured they went to find a new turf, after the reports about their friends."

Biff shook his head. "They were convinced it was a hallucination caused by drugs and a rival gang killed their friends in order to scare them off." He sneered. "The chief figured if the gangsters kept coming out here, there'd be less reason for him to hunt in-town…" he shook his head. "But right now I'm concerned about you. What did they do to you?"

"They dragged me to their campsite. I was tied up and one of them tried to molest me… then suddenly he was knocked out. This kid… he looked like he was a high school freshman, though I think he was homeless… he tried to save me. He untied me and we tried to sneak away, but…"

"But…?"

She sighed. "I don't remember. I ended up knocked out…" she gasped looking around. "W-Where is he? Is he here?"

She got out of the car, looking around before running up the road. "Kim, wait up!" Biff called, catching her. "Please, calm down. You might have a concussion-"

"But the boy-"

"OFFICER…!"

The two jumped at the sound of shouts. Over ran a teenage girl- though at first sight Biff assumed she was a prostitute. Mascara was running down her face as she had been crying, and she was so pale it was as if she were a reanimated corpse.

Biff walked over to her. "What's going on?"

"It's here…! It wasn't drugs… wasn't drugs at all… m-my girlfriend… she's dead… M-Marshal's body is in a tree… Robert has no head…!" she was stammering, unable to speak. "I ran… I ran so fast- it might be after me! HELP!"

"Settle down!" Biff snapped and the girl stood still…

…because she was looking at Kim. "You…! You were with us! Did you see it?!"

Kim glared. "I was knocked out. What are you talking about?"

The girl trembled. "So much blood… I ran… *sniffle* my girlfriend… all my friends…"

"She's in shock, we should take her to the hospital-" Biff stated.

"Officer!" came another shout as two more thugs, this time boys, came running out. "Man, I never thought I'd be happy to see a cop…!"

"You gotta help us! This… This… THING! It came and killed our friends!" the second thug, who had a tattoo that read 'JayZ' tattooed on his neckline, exclaimed. He gave a jolt when he saw Kim. "Holy shit! How'd you get here so fast?!"

"Would someone just tell me what's going on?!" Biff demanded, even though he had a good idea. He pointed at Kim. "Start by explaining what you did to my friend here!"

The first thug, a blonde with a mohawk, gulped. "W-We weren't going to hurt her…!" he stammered, though knew the officer could tell he was lying through his teeth. He took a deep breath. "We were at the campsite. We were just hanging out, blowing off steam, drinking and stuff…"

"W-We saw your friend leaving with some homeless kid. We started picking on him- we weren't going to hurt them! Maybe just scare them a bit, y'know, teach 'em not to lurk around gangster territory… then suddenly…" JayZ began to say, but gagged. "Oh shit…"

"His head! He has no head! His body is lying somewhere gushing out blood!" The girl shouted before sobbing. Mohawk wrapped his arms around her in comfort.

"This thing… at first I thought it was some sort of bear… but… bears can't rip people's arms off that easily or impale them with tree branches…"

Biff looked over at Kim, who was turning pale; tears were in her eyes. He looked at the thugs. "Were any of you taking drugs?"

"Fucker, we weren't high! It all happened! Don't believe us? Go to the campsite! All the corpses are probably still there!" Mohawk snarled. The girl continued to sob.

"C'mon. I'll take you all to the hospital." Biff stated. "I'll radio a few others to come investigate…"

"Liar! The cops in town won't do shit! They didn't do anything the first time this happened!" JayZ snapped, wincing. "…I wanted to believe them… to believe that it was just a drug-trip… maybe even believe my pals got arrested and are still alive… but no. It's all real… our friends are dead and YOU FUCKERS WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!"

He took off down the road towards the city, ranting and raving about the trauma he had to face. Mohawk ran after him, but Biff stopped him. "Let him go. I'll take you back to the station… and you can explain _everything_ ," he said, firmly.

Mohawk glared. "Like you'd believe us…"

"That boy…" Kim spoke up. "The one who tried to save me… What happened to him?"

The thug thought, but shook his head. "I didn't see. I took off running once body-parts started flying. Chances are the twerp is dead like the rest," he gave her a look. "…You were unconscious. Why did it spare you?"

"It… spared you…?" the girl glared at Kim. "What makes you so fucking special?!"

"That's enough! C'mon, I'm taking you all in-" Biff began.

"Fuck off-!" Mohawk snarled, taking out a gun, but Biff acted quick and grabbed his wrist, twisting his arm behind his back.

…

The thug froze, looking at the ground. "No… no way…! It was here!" he stammered.

Kim looked down at the ground, finding the cause of alarm. There were long, massive pawprints on the ground. She knelt down looking closer… there were smaller footprints beside them…

"It was here…! Fuck!" The girl took off running. "It's nearby! It'll kill us all!"

"Bitch wait up!" Mohawk cried, pulling away from Biff and running.

Biff watched them go, running up the road, probably not stopping until they either pass out from exhaustion or until they reach refuge. He turned to Kim, kneeling down next to her, looking at the pair of footprints next to the pawprints. "Kim…"

"He was here too…" Kim whispered. She followed the footprints, seeing they came from her car. "They were together… he might still be alive…"

"C'mon, Kim," Biff led her to his squad car. "We should get you to the hospital. …We'll come back later,"

They sat down in the car, though Kim appeared to be spacing out.

Biff drove them back to town, heading to the hospital, worried that Kim was suffering from mental trauma.

Her next statement, however, made him change his mind.

"Vigor."

He slowed down to a stop, turning and looking at her. "What?" he gasped.

"The boy who saved me…" Kim stated quietly. "His name was Vigor."


	19. Traumatized

_~Vigor's Point of View~_

Fire.

Fire everywhere, just like always.

But this time it was different.

I heard the howling, screams of pain.

Beyond the flames there was blood splattered on the walls, corpses burning as the fire spread.

I was surrounded by flames, the concrete beneath me hot like a welder's iron.

The walls were beginning to crumble…

A beam fell next to me, dirt and debris extinguishing the blaze before it got too close to me; it was leading to a doorway.

I ran along it. The growls echoed… from above?

Before I made it out something knocked me down, turning my world black.

…

I thought about the dream as I sat up. It was still dark out, far from sunrise I assumed, but I could not bring myself to go back to sleep and return to the nightmare… even if there was a chance I did escape the fire, I didn't have to see the whole thing to know I ended up locked away, isolated from society and put through suffering.

I was also thirsty. Being surrounded by flames in a room losing oxygen while flames licked at my skin left me feeling dehydrated… not to mention the run I took last night.

I stood up, walking to the door slowly, not out of caution but because I still felt weak from the beating I took. I felt cold, too, remembering I had been in a river twice last night, my clothes still damp. I sniffled.

Stepping out into the hallway, all was still. I felt déjà vu from my first night here, wondering where Mandible had gone. I looked down the hall at the neighboring room...

What was it about that room that caused such an outburst? It was already destroyed, nothing in there having any value…

Except that hat.

I shook my head, deciding to let the matter die. _Who cares about what he keeps locked up? The beast is probably just territorial like any other wild animal. Just focus on staying alive,_ I told myself, moving along. He could keep to his business, I'd keep to mine. We didn't want anything to do with each other, and that was that.

…

 _I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him,_ I remembered. The werewolf had slaughtered those thugs, spared the woman… and brought me back unharmed.

Once again, I shook my head. _He just doesn't want to lose his slave. He'll probably just eat me the moment I show signs of weakness._

That thought left me anxious. …Mandible said he'd only keep me alive so long as I proved my worth. That was our deal- I be his slave, he spares my life.

I would have to stay strong, no different than when Cain and his men tortured me.

I made it over to the stairs. Gripping the banister, I moved down slowly, each step feeling like my legs were being weighed down. My shoulder ached, and I remembered that I still had that wound from when Cain slit it in order to bait Mandible. My hand was still sore from when I cut it on the axe-handle.

Being beaten up by thugs didn't exactly help the healing process either.

"Oh-!" I gasped; I missed the step, having been so focused on my injuries that I wasn't paying attention to my footing. I held tight to the banister, crouched down and steadying my breath. Fuck, I ached all over…

"What are you doing up?"

I gave a jolt, seeing Mandible standing by the banister. …When did he get there so fast, or had he been watching me the whole time? "I need a drink of water," I replied, having the mind to stand up but my body hurt too much to heed my brain's command. "The water is safe to drink, right?"

"You shouldn't be walking around,"

"I'll be fine," I forced myself to stand up straight. My legs screamed in agony, but I ignored the pain, making myself move at a normal pace…

*thud!*

The moment I reached the bottom my legs gave out. _Traitors…_ my brain sneered at them.

"Stop fucking around," Mandible sighed in annoyance, wrapping his arm around my torso and carrying me potato-sack style over to the couch, setting me down on it. "Wait here."

 _I feel like my dignity was just insulted,_ I thought as I sat up, watching as he went into the kitchen, coming back out with a glass of water. I took it and sipped it, the cool drink soothing to my dry throat.

It was ten seconds later I realized he was still watching me. "What?" I questioned, giving him a suspicious look.

"You look like shit," Mandible scoffed, quickly looking away. "Your bandages need changed,"

I scowled. "'scuse me if running through the woods and falling in a river doesn't rejuvenate the skin," I downed the glass, standing up. "I'll take a bath lat- atchoo!"

*fwump!*

Apparently, a simple sneeze was enough to make me fall back, in my condition. I avoided looking at Mandible, reminding myself I couldn't look weak. …I probably looked pathetic, but I wasn't going to admit to it.

There was chuckling, and I looked up at the werewolf, who had a degrading smirk on his face. "You really are stubborn, aren't ya?" he cracked; I noticed he had a slight Brooklyn accent, when he wasn't snapping or shouting.

"I'm fine. Just tired," I muttered, my voice a bit nasally.

"Sure," Mandible walked over to the bathroom.

I heard the sound of running water. He then left the room and went upstairs to my room, coming back down with dry clothes and taking them into the bathroom.

Was he…?

"W-What are you doing…?" I asked, a bit nervous as he came walking back over.

"What's it look like?" he said, picking me up potato-sack style again. "You're getting a bath,"

 _Oh hell no!_

"H-Hey! Wait! I can bathe myself!" I stammered, thrashing in his grip, despite the exercise made the pain worse.

"Like I'm going to risk you passing out and drowning in the tub," Mandible retorted.

"No- wait- stop- hey!" Try as I might, I couldn't get out of his grip, and within seconds we were in the bathroom. He sat me down, pulling at my shirt- I pulled away. "Hands off the material, pal!"

Mandible rolled his eyes. "Fine- just get undressed."

"With you watching me? I don't think so!"

"Just do it, or do I have to rip them off you myself?!"

"What are you, some kind of pervert?"

He glared at me with a deadpanned expression. His eyebrow twitched. "Just. Do it."

"Turn around, first."

Mandible sighed, walking over to the door and facing it. He muttered something vulgar under his breath. "Just hurry up," he groused.

I stood up, steadying myself against the side of the tub. As I did I tested the water, finding it warm. I sighed, focusing on just getting into the tub, knowing it had been over two days since I bathed… and that these damp clothes were going to make me break out into hyperthermia if I didn't get out of them.

I took off my shirt first, and grimaced at what I saw; bruises covered my body, my bandages already yellowed and stained with blood and dirt. I hadn't gained much weight either, despite my month with Biff- I wasn't starved, but I still looked malnourished.

I looked over at Mandible, who was tapping his foot in impatience. I took a deep breath, unbuckling my belt and taking off my pants.

My legs were no better, caked with mud and covered in scratches from my trek through the woods, a few bruises to be seen. I frowned, seeing pin-pricks running up and down them…

" _Hold him down! We're going to need a lot of morphine for this one," Cain stated, as I was stabbed with a syringe three times._

" _Vaccinate him good- he's not worth anything if he's sick," Cain ordered, as I was given shots for several vaccines for who-knows-what diseases._

" _Relax, kid… this stuff'll make you feel real good…" another goon had said while Cain watched with a smirk. His name was Andre- the only other one I remembered as he was ordered to break my spirit. He injected me with the needle… something got stiff… but all he got was a bloody nose._

That part of my ordeal I pushed into the back of my mind. Though nothing happened, I never forgot how he handled me…

I thought of the man Cain tried to sell me too… how he had the same intentions…

Mandible grabbed my shoulder, making me flinch. "H-Hey… I said turn around!" I stammered, feeling myself turning red.

"Stop being a priss. As slow as you are, the water will be ice-cold before you stop spacing out." The werewolf retorted, then got to work undoing my bandages.

I trembled, but not from embarrassment; as he unraveled the gauze, his pupils seemed to turn into slits. Once they were off, he had his eyes locked on my shoulder.

Just like how he looked at my hand…

I cleared my throat, hoping to distract him. "Hey, pervert, stop checking me out and let me get in the tub, would you?" I commented.

He blinked, shaking his head. "I'm waiting on you-" he began, pausing a bit and looking down before back at me. "Shrimp."

I gave a sneer, before climbing into the tub. I repressed a hiss, the warm water not exactly soothing to the scratches. I sat down, sighing as I got used to it, watching in mild disgust as the once-clear water became brown and red from the dirt and blood that rinsed off me. The faucet was still running, and I looked around for something I could use to scrub myself with.

*Splash!*

"Ack! Ah!" I gasped as water was dumped on my head. I looked up, glaring at Mandible as he held a large plastic cup. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"The sooner you get cleaned, the sooner you can go back to bed. …What, were you expecting to relax in a tub of your own filth?" Mandible scoffed.

"I can bathe myself! …Geez, can't you give a guy a little privacy?!"

He scoffed. "You didn't respect my privacy, why should I respect yours?"

I turned red, this time from anger. "Going into a room and watching someone take a bath are two different things! It's not something people are welcome to do!"

"Yeah, well, I'm not people- or did you forget?" He picked up the cup again, filling it with clean water from the faucet and dumping it on my head again. "Now shut up- the sooner we get this over with, the sooner you can go back to bed."

He held me by my good shoulder, forcing me to stay in place. A few seconds later, a soapy cloth was pressed on my other shoulder. "Ah! Ow! That hurts, asshole!"

"Would you rather it be infected?!" he snapped back, running the cloth under the faucet before returning it to my shoulder, rubbing it as if he were desperate to clean the blood off.

"Agh- be gentle at least!" I grabbed his wrist, moving his paw in a slower motion. "Like this- with wounds this bad, you have to dab it, not rub it. Otherwise you'll just make it bleed more,"

"R-right… I got it now."

I let go of his hand, allowing him to clean my wound; a few seconds later he rinsed the cloth, pressing it on my shoulder, folding it so it stayed in place. He then grabbed another cloth, soaping it up and rubbing my back with it.

The whole time I was trying to stay calm… but Andre kept coming to mind. _No… it's not like that… is it? Of course not! He's a werewolf- he lusts for blood, not your anus. Just let him do this, then you can go back to sleep-_

" _You're mine now…" Cain's 'business partner' said as he crawled over me…_

" _I'll make you feel good…" Andre whispered in my ear, his hand moving up my shirt-_

I gasped, louder than I should have, when the cloth moved over my chest; I moved back so fast I slid, going under the water for a moment. A paw grabbed the top of my head and yanked me back up. "The fuck is wrong with you?" Mandible snapped.

"What's wrong with me?! You were the one rubbing my chest!"

"The f…?! I was not!"

"Don't try to lie- I felt that cloth…!"

Mandible reached into the tub, picking up the other cloth. "…You mean THIS cloth? It was on your shoulder- you were beginning to slouch and it slid off! I was rinsing THIS cloth off!" he held up the cloth in his hand, rinsed of dirt.

I blinked, pulling my knees up to my chest; I shivered from the sudden exposure to the air, after being under warm water for just a second. I looked at the two cloths.

…

Realization hit me just then.

I thought I was being strong, ignoring whatever pain and suffering I had endured during my years of torture, promising that no matter what they did to me I'd hold fast and not let them break my spirit.

I was so focused on keeping up a tough act that I didn't realize… once I was free… the memories would still haunt me.

Imagine if I were in society now. I could trust Biff, but that was only because he was a police officer… and in truth, with him being out of the house most of the day, we didn't interact much, and I never went around town on my own. Suppose I were with other people, living in a house with neighbors, going to a job, maybe going on dates…

Even if I did manage to lead a normal life, it wouldn't change what happened to me. Every time anyone touched me, I would remember; I'd have to wear clothing that covered my entire body, to hide the scars and avoid questions about them. …Fuck, I'd never be able to walk the streets; suppose Cain had more sources that could track me down? Even if he didn't, there were more people out there, seeking to entertain themselves with sadistic acts upon others…

They had won in the end.

They broke me.

"Hey,"

Mandible's voice was calm and stern, though he could have whispered and it still would have startled me out of my thoughts. I looked at him.

"I'm not some pervert, alright? I may be a monster, but even I have standards." He told me. He picked up the cup, pouring water over my head and shoulders, though not drenching me like the first two times. He then shut off the water and unplugged the drain.

He handed me a towel, turning away.

I wrapped the towel around my shoulders to help cease my shivering. I stood up, my legs still aching; I grabbed onto the side of the tub to keep from slipping. "Um…" I whispered, still feeling red.

He looked over his shoulder slightly.

"I… uh… can you help me out? It's slick,"

Silence.

I kept my eyes on the ground.

I was really pathetic…

…

A paw crossed my line of vision. "Here- try not to slip and pull me down, alright?" Mandible said.

I grabbed his paw; he kept me steady as I climbed out. He then grabbed another cloth, folding it over my shoulder before wrapping gauze around it. He rebandaged my hand as well, and grabbed band-aids for the scratches on my legs. I then put on the dry clothes- another long shirt and a pair of pants that went past my ankles by a good several inches.

"C'mon," he told me, his tone firm but still calm. He picked me up again, though carried me the way he did when bringing me back to the cabin. "You need to lie down for a while- heh, consider yourself lucky. You'll get to skip a couple days of work,"

 _Lucky._

That was a term foreign to me.

He took me over to the couch, lying me down on it. "You can sleep down here for a while. You'll probably fall and break your neck if you keep climbing down the stairs before you're healed up."

I stared up at the ceiling. _I can't fight, I can't work… I can't even walk without passing out._ I thought to myself. _I freak out over a single touch… I can't even remember my real name… I'm a slave to a beast- and who knows how long that will last?_

"Are you listening?" Mandible demanded, giving me a look.

"Y-yeah… sorry," I replied quietly. "I don't feel good,"

"Yeah, well, passing out in wet clothes will do that," He grabbed a thick blanket, draping it over me. "Just rest up for a couple days. There'll be a lot of work for you to do then, heh."

I scoffed. "Yay,"

He walked over to the fireplace, grabbing a matchbook and setting fire to the paper. "I have to grab some logs- don't get any ideas of sneaking off while I'm gone," he joked, walking out of the room and going out the back door.

 _Yeah right… like I'd make it out there,_ I thought. I remembered the other victims the traffickers- some were too shaken up to speak in the hospital, Biff said. He claimed they would have to go through a lot of therapy before they were able to live a normal life.

" _Everyone said you were the strong one- most people would be too traumatized to trust anyone,"_ Biff had told me the first night I moved in with him.

Traumatized…

I guess I was so focused on my [temporary] freedom that I never noticed my mental scars.

If I were back in society… I wouldn't be strong enough to move on.

Being a slave to a werewolf was nothing compared to that.

I shut my eyes, forcing myself to go to sleep.

Fire was in my dreams again, only this time I saw no escape.


	20. Mandible's Consideration

_~Third Person Point of View~_

*Chop!*

Mandible wiped his brow after swinging the axe. He had spent the last half hour slicing logs in half; winter was fast approaching. By tomorrow night snow would start falling, he could sense, and he would have to stock up on firewood and food before then- he wouldn't be able to travel into town every full moon, as his snow-tracks would give him away, unless he managed to do his raid during a blizzard- but even he wouldn't take his chances against the strongest forces of nature.

He set another log on the stump, raising the axe to lop it off-

"Agh! Dammit…!" Mandible hissed, feeling a pain in his paw and dropping the axe… which sliced through the log in perfection. It would have been comedic if pain wasn't involved.

He looked at his palm, finding a splinter; grimacing, he used the tips of his claws to pull it out, licking the small wound, which healed five seconds later.

 _Werewolves are fast healers,_ he had told Vigor.

He looked at the axe with disdain. The handle was splintered in a lot of places, which he didn't think about until after Vigor cut his hand.

He gulped a bit. He remembered the ruby-red fluid seeping out of the boy's palm. His mind had gone blank as his mouth had begun to water…

He would have snapped then and there had his slave not spoken up, needing to use the bathroom.

 _I probably almost made him piss himself again,_ Mandible thought, though he had doubts it would happen again. Vigor was terrified of him at first sight, obviously, yet now he was starting to get a bit more… cocky, in the werewolf's opinion.

The kid was always trying to tough it out, trying to prove he was independent and stronger than he looked; yet he wasn't full of pride- he was humble enough to admit when he was wrong, just like he did last night. _We would have been dead if it wasn't for you,_ Vigor had implied… before making smart remarks twenty minutes later when he was trying to prove his strength by walking.

 _That kid is going to get himself killed if he keeps pushing himself too hard,_ Mandible thought, grabbing the logs and balancing the stack on his shoulder.

' _You mean if YOU keep pushing him too hard',_ remarked the little voice in his head.

The werewolf shook his head, in attempt to quiet the voice, before walking up the steps and back indoors, carrying the logs into the living room. He stacked them in the left corner near the fireplace, turning to retrieve more…

He looked at Vigor, asleep on the couch. He was curled up tight under the blanket, having an extreme case of REM beneath his eyelids, meaning whatever he was dreaming had him in peril during his slumber. Tears were rolling down his cheeks.

Mandible frowned, thinking about Vigor's panic in the bathroom. Sure, he wouldn't want anyone looking at his naked hide either, but the way the boy acted- calling him a pervert, freaking out over a washcloth brushing against his chest, a look of shame on his face…

He forgot the kid was taken by human traffickers.

What they did to him, the werewolf didn't want to know. All he knew now was the assholes did a lot of damage to people, and Vigor's alarm was proof of that.

He had been traumatized to a point where dealing with a bloodthirsty werewolf was no sweat.

Chances are, if the trauma increased, he would be wishing for death…

…

Not that Mandible would grant him that wish.

Sure, if his slave had just been another passerby lost in the woods or taking a stroll, he'd have no conscience when it came to scarring him to the point of begging for a sudden demise- actually, he would just prolong the trauma just to have the kid answer to his every whim, up until he was lean and thick enough to devour.

But the werewolf refused to be like the assholes who ruined his life…

It was their fault he killed his best friend.

Now there was Vigor, who suffered from their ungodly treatments…

Not that Mandible felt sympathetic. Everyone had to suffer from something at some point in life. Vigor would just have to learn to move on. And if he couldn't, if he wanted to die- shit, he was weaker than the werewolf thought.

He had yet to move on himself… but his case was different. Guilt and trauma were two separate things.

His slave turned on his back, letting out a cough in his sleep, trembling. His REM was still active, the terror on his face made him look like he was trapped in one of Freddy Krueger's nightmares. _He's probably having a fever-dream._ Mandible guessed, kneeling down and resting a paw on the boy's forehead. It was warmer than he thought; the runt would be on the couch for a couple days to sleep it off, he figured.

Vigor's hand suddenly brushed against his arm. For a moment, he seemed to calm down in his sleep, his fingers curling around it, holding on gently.

Mandible paused, looking at the hand on his arm. Compared to his paw it was quite tiny; the kid really was small for his age… whatever it was. He assumed he was fifteen at first glance, but as malnourished and out of shape he was, he could be older.

 _Oh well, makes it easier to haul him around._ The werewolf thought, noticing how lightweight the boy felt when he carried him. So small and fragile… it almost made him want to not put him down, worried he might break. He could barely walk down the stairs earlier, after all.

His paw was still on his forehead, and he brushed aside his bangs; his face was so pale, with a black eye and a bruise on one cheek. His REM seemed to slow down, his breathing calmer now.

Mandible pulled away quick, as if he had touched fire. _No. Don't get attached._ He told himself sternly. _Just focus on getting the runt back in shape; it may take all winter, but the wait will be worth it…_

"… _help…"_

"Huh?" Mandible looked at Vigor as his slave muttered in his sleep. He was trembling again.

The werewolf crawled over, watching him, but his slave didn't speak.

"Fever dreams," Mandible muttered, walking into the bathroom and grabbing a washcloth, dousing it with cold water and folding it over Vigor's head. Maybe that will keep the kid calm in his sleep.

He walked out and gathered more logs; once he was sure he would have enough to last a few weeks, he locked the door and built a fire, just as the sun was rising. The werewolf sat down in an easy-chair, wondering if he should go through the trouble of eating breakfast. After his slaughter last night, he wasn't that hungry.

Vigor was still asleep. He probably wouldn't wake up until closer to noon.

Mandible only looked at him.

He was small, sickly, and traumatized, yet at the same time smart-mouthed, stubborn, and brave.

' _You can help him.'_ The voice spoke.

Mandible shut his eyes. _Only if it gets me what I want._ He thought in retort, before drifting off himself.


	21. Living in the Past

Biff sat in the waiting room, while Kim was being examined. As much as he loved to turn around and search the woods for Vigor, let alone find out whether or not his 'old friend' spared him, the importance of Kim's health came first.

He also wanted to see if Cain 'recovered'. Unbeknownst to the rest of the police, he had unfinished business with the man. Had he the temper, he would have pulled the cord on the bastard for what he put them through in the past.

But he had to keep a cool head. The only way to avenge his lost friend was to save others the villain had kidnapped… to accomplish the goal they set out to do years ago…

If he never lost Vigor, perhaps that goal would have been easily achieved.

And as it turns out, Cain was still out cold.

The rookie looked at his watch. It was almost 5 AM; he would have to get back on the clock by 8 o'clock PM.

He looked out the window; it had begun snowing in-town. He forgot they were in for a blizzard that weekend. The roads would be slick with ice by afternoon…

In layman terms, there was no way he could go out and interrogate the werewolf until the snow melted.

"Don't tell me you've been sitting here the whole time,"

Biff looked up, seeing Kim walking over; there was a bandage on her head from where she had been knocked out. "Someone has to drive you home," he joked, resting a hand on her shoulder as they walked out. "How are you feeling?"

"Just a headache. The doctor said there was no severe head-trauma, but suggests I take it easy for the rest of the day," Kim answered; she rubbed her head, sighing. "Can you fill me in on what happened? My mind is a little fuzzy,"

"Let's get back home, first. We both need some rest after last night," Biff led her out the door.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

By noon, Kim was well-rested; Biff, on the other hand, only managed to get a couple hours of sleep, for the obvious reasons.

They sat in the kitchen, two cups of coffee between them. The snowflakes outside began to multiply by the minute, the wind speed picking up per minute. "You said you were jumped last night, and were rescued by F… Mandible, and a boy named Vigor." Biff explained.

"Yes…" Kim answered, her memory clearing up. "I went out to see Manny, to try and talk to him- like I used to do," her tone was mellow as she continued. "…I always felt like, as long as I kept seeing him, maybe… maybe he'd be able to remember who he really is."

Biff nodded. After 'it' happened, their friend fell into a depression; depression turned into voracious behavior. At first the werewolf was beside himself with guilt, often staying up nights crying, fearing for the next full moon- when his cravings were most intense.

Once… he almost tried to kill his infant cousin. The small wolfling was practically his mini-twin… and he almost killed him.

Then the rest of the family put a bounty on his head. To this day, neither Biff nor Kim know what became of the infant.

That's when they moved him out to the country, far from society, deep in the woods. They lied to the family, making up a story where the werewolf tried to kill Kim and Biff had no choice but to shoot him.

…

Later, he told them to keep away, before the lie became truth… But Kim always visited him, still having hope.

For a while.

"Why did you stop visiting him?" Biff asked.

Kim looked out the window. "He told me not to waste my time on him- he wanted me to live my life, and try to move on from the past," she gripped her coffee cup. "…I tried for his sake. Pugs would have wanted all of us to move on. But…"

"None of us can," Biff sighed. "Well, at least you're trying. I became a cop just to hunt down the bastards who started all this… and to protect others from Mandible…" He shook his head, pounding his fist on the table in a moment of anger. "Damn it!"

"Biff…" Kim rested her hand on top of his. "Don't put yourself through this again. You can't focus on trying to hunt down that man… we have to help _him_ first."

"Helping him is the reason I'm in this God forsaken town, working with a corrupt law system. I tell him to keep out of town, but what does he do? He comes back- causing car accidents, murdering pedestrians… now he's raiding stores!" he rubbed his temples. "It's a STK situation now… I think he's actually trying to get himself killed."

Kim sighed. "…I hate what he's become… but we have to show him that's not who he really is. If he really wanted to become a monster, he… he wouldn't have helped Vigor save me."

Biff looked up. "Vigor… about him!" he snapped his fingers. "He's a human-trafficking victim!"

Kim's eyes widened. "W-What?! You know him?"

"Y-Yes…! A few weeks ago I found him passing out in the streets… H-He was being sold to this guy, but managed to get away. He stayed with me for a month, until he was kidnapped again…" Biff's eyes widened next. "…The same night Mandible came into town again." He pounded his fist on the table, this time out of excitement. "I knew it! I knew he took Vigor!"

"And he's still alive…!" Kim stood- no, leaped from her chair in jubilation. "That must be it! Mandible is making up for his past by helping get back at the same kind of men who… who… Yes! He must be hoping Vigor will help him point out the other culprits!"

Biff shook his head, letting out a sigh. "No, no… I don't think Mandible knows Vigor is a traffic-victim. I don't know why he'd take him and just let him live… But I do know one thing. He'll be coming back into town, this time with a target."

Kim sat back down, curious. "A target…? W-Why?"

The young officer looked out the window, his grip tight on his coffee mug. "Because the man who got Pugs killed is in the hospital."


	22. An Attempt at Dinner Conversation

_~Vigor's Point of View~_

When I opened my eyes, my head was swimming. Despite I was buried under blankets, I felt a chill. My vision was still adjusting to the dim light, and I couldn't tell what time of the day it was as the room was still dark.

The first thing I managed to notice clearly was a smell coming from the fireplace; I looked over, seeing a small black kettle on a metal hook, something simmering within it. I made out the scent of chicken, vegetables, and noodles. Soup?

Sitting near the fire, watching the small pot cook, was the werewolf, holding a wooden spoon and looking bored. "…c'mon, boil already…" he was muttering.

"What are you cooking?" I asked, sitting up a bit; I wrapped the blanket around my shoulders, standing up and finding my legs regained their strength. Slowly, I walked over. "Chicken noodle soup?"

"More like deer noodle… something." Mandible responded, tapping the pot. "I don't have much, so I had to improvise." He then looked at me, as if doing a double-take. "I thought I told you to lie down!"

"I've already been lying down… for…" I paused, realizing I didn't know how long I slept. "…Quite a while, it feels like."

Mandible scoffed. "Time always goes at a slow pace when you're sick," he looked towards the window, then shrugged. "Ah, fuck it. You've slept most of the day- just don't think you can run around since you can stand,"

"Heh, like I'm in any shape to run a marathon,"

"You're not even in-shape to walk downstairs,"

I rolled my eyes, sitting down near the fire. I watched the flames dance, remembering The Nightmare- the blood on the walls, the corpses burning, the narrow escape before being tackled…

Exactly, when would it stop?

I decided to turn my attention to the kettle of 'deer noodle soup'. I remembered seeing the carcasses of wild animals down in the basement, remembering the sour stench, nearly vomiting the longer I was down there, hiding in fear… trying to run out only to be cornered by a beast… bending my will in order to survive…

I felt weak then, and I feel weaker now.

I shifted, feeling the fresh bandages Mandible had placed on my shoulder, hand, and legs, covering my wounds and old scars. I still felt sore from last night, and I wondered how the woman was doing; had she driven home safely? Did the other driver manage to help her?

I let my eyes drift over to Mandible, who was still watching the kettle, his eyebrow twitching in mild annoyance.

I thought to earlier this morning…

When I accused him of touching me.

He looked hurt. Of all things- he slaughtered people, turned me into his slave, and had a lust for blood… but being called a pervert was what cut him deep?

…I could understand.

Who would want to be compared to the bastards who put me through it? Who hurt Sunny in such ways…

Compared to them, the werewolf had more decency. And I insulted whatever humanity he might have.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly, turning my eyes back to the kettle. "F-for freaking out earlier…"

"Don't worry about it," Mandible replied with another shrug. "I've heard worse."

"Still… sorry." I looked into the fire. "…if it's any condolation, you're still better than 'them'."

He scoffed. "First, it's 'consolation', dumbass. Second, don't ever compare me to others, whether they're worse than me or not."

"Sorry,"

"And stop apologizing over stupid shit! Geez… 'think that cold is screwing with your brain…"

I sighed, deciding to keep quiet after that.

There was a series of slow, moaning creaks as the cabin settled; a howling wind blew outside, signifying a blizzard was either on its way or had already started. The house felt colder… or maybe it was just my illness. I wrapped the blankets tighter around myself, shivering.

Evidently, Mandible noticed. "Why don't you lie back down on the couch?" he muttered.

"It's warmer by the f-fire," I replied, though still trembled. "At least, that's what I was hoping…"

He looked at me a moment… then grabbed me by the shoulders. I flinched a bit as he leaned forth, so close I could see the remains of blood on the tip of his fang… until his bottom and top lips curved around it, enveloping it as they puckered.

I remained frozen as I felt his lips on my forehead. _What… the… fuck…?_ I thought, cringing a bit.

He pulled away. "Your fever broke. That's why you feel cold," he said, turning back to the fire as if nothing happened.

I only blinked. "…w-why did you kiss me?" I asked.

"Tch. It wasn't a kiss, I was checking your temperature,"

"Why didn't you just use your palms?"

He gave me a deadpanned look, holding up one of his furry paws.

"…oh. S-"

"DON'T. Apologize."

I shut my mouth, turning back to the kettle. "S-So… when will the soup be done?"

Mandible stirred the kettle. "About thirty minutes,"

I looked back at the kitchen. There was a wood-burning stove over in the corner. "Why didn't you just use the stove in the kitchen?"

"Because the pipe got clogged with something years ago, and I haven't cleaned it out yet. Besides, it'll save us on firewood to just use one thing. Any more questions?" the edge in his voice was a warning sign for me to keep quiet.

"No, that's it." I stood up; noticing a stuffed chair, I sat down on it, curling up with the blanket.

I watched Mandible for a minute, seeing how the flames reflected in his eyes, giving the red-irises an orange glow. I looked at his muzzle, at his once-again revealed fang.

 _It felt like a kiss._ I thought, before dosing off.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Hey, kid. Wake up."

"Hm…?" I opened my eyes from a dreamless sleep, sitting up in the chair. "What is it?"

"Soup's ready," Mandible pointed at a bowl on a coffee table near the couch. "C'mon, eat it before it gets cold- I don't have the electricity to microwave it for ya,"

I walked back over to the couch; I must have been hungrier than I realized, as the soup looked both disgusting and delicious at the same time. The aroma made it seem appetizing, but the chunks of meat (still a bit red) made it look more like watered-down vomit mixed with roadkill.

Still, I was hungry, and I knew Mandible would get pissed again if I insulted his cooking. I started by sipping the broth, slurping a couple noodles (they were macaroni ones), before trying a chunk of deer meat.

It wasn't great… but it wasn't bad, either. The meat could have cooked longer, and I felt adding carrots to the mixture would have added more to the flavor. It also could use some salt.

…But I wasn't going to nit-pick. After all, the werewolf probably didn't know much about cooking than I did- and it was a wonder I even had the knowledge to work the stove back at Biff's house. Plus, he was limited on supplies, I could guess- he was used to just eating meat; creating a home-cooked meal probably wasn't his forte.

Besides, I was hungry. If I starved any longer, I'd probably go out hunting deer like a wild animal.

My bowl was half-empty when I paused, suddenly feeling nauseas.

"…What? You don't like it?" Mandible questioned, having been slurping the soup from his own bowl.

"It's fine… I just…" I tried to explain, feeling myself turn green.

Without hesitation, I bolted to the bathroom, grabbing the toilet (that I had recently scrubbed clean) by the rim and heaving-

"BLLAAAAUUUUURRRRGGGLLLE!"

I puked up the soup, and whatever food I had eaten in the last 24 hours, emptying my stomach before it was even filled.

I winced once it was over, five minutes later, taking deep breaths. My head was swimming, my chest ached, and my nose was runny from leaking mucus. I wiped my mouth and nostrils, standing up and walking out.

Mandible looked irritated. "Thanks for the feedback, critic," he muttered, his eyebrow twitching.

I scoffed. "I wasn't being critical… I probably have the flu or something," I replied, sitting back down on the couch. "I lost a lot of blood and I'm still malnourished, so I'll have to eat in smaller portions for a while,"

"Good, that means you won't be eating all my food," He put his own bowl down, picking up mine. "Are you going to finish it, or are you going to heave again?"

"I'm not going to…" I began… before my stomach gave an unsettled feeling, and I dashed to the bathroom again, this time closing the door behind me.

…

Once I was finished, I knew cleaning the toilet again was going to be a bitch.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Fifteen minutes later, once my stomach had finally settled, I was back on the couch.

On the table were pieces of bread… looking like they were roasted over a fire. Next to them was a glass of water.

"You can eat that, it'll be easier on your stomach," Mandible advised, sitting in the chair. "I'd get you some crackers and Pepto-Bismol, but I don't feel like raiding a store during a blizzard,"

"It's fine," I replied, nibbling on a piece of bread. "Thank you,"

Silence fell between us again; outside, the wind was picking up, making the cabin creak and moan more.

"How long have you've lived out here?" I asked. "This house looks like it's fifty years old,"

"It's only forty years old," the werewolf retorted, leaning forth in his chair and looking at the fire. "… well, thirty-eight. It belonged to someone's grandfather; he built it in his 20's back in the seventies, making it big enough as he wanted a large family, hoping to open a ranch and make it a plantation of sorts… but, he only had one kid, who only bore one grandchild for him, and he died by the time his grandson was 17, leaving this place to be his once he was of-age."

"Was it your grandfather?"

He held a poker, messing with one of the logs in the flames. "No. His grandson didn't want to live far away; since he moved out, I moved in. People barely know this place exists."

"How do you know so much about it?"

He gave me a look. "How come you ask so many questions?"

I leaned back on the couch. "I just want to know. …Since I have no memories of my own, I tend to wonder." I looked at him. "I mean, you get curious too, don't you? Probably wonder how I ended up in that alley,"

He huffed. "What's there to wonder about? You were kidnapped by sick bastards who wanted to either 1) use you for self gain or 2) for personal satisfaction. Since you clearly have no memory of where you're from or who you belong to (before I gained custody of your scrawny ass), they decided to use you for bait."

I looked at the ground. That summed it up.

My mind began to wander back to that moment, as I thought about the conversation Cain first had with that man. Despite I could barely make out some of the words, I now managed to piece things together. "Why were they trying to capture you?" I asked.

Mandible sneered. "They needed a reason? I run through the edge of town, hunting anyone who comes my way. The asshole I decapitated spotted me one night probably, and figured I'd make a nice trophy- maybe even feel like a hero for killing a beast. He probably hired that other guy as a bait-dealer,"

"You caused the car-wreck that one night, didn't you?"

He shrugged. "It was a slow night. I normally don't wander deep into town, but I felt like doing something different. That van almost hit me while I was crossing the street, I got pissed… before you know it, I'm hanging bodies off streetlights like demented Christmas ornaments. Frankly, that asshole who kidnapped you should have taken that as a warning sign to avoid me." He stretched in the chair. "Ah, well. Sooner or later they'll learn that when you mess with the monster, you get the fang."

I thought back to that scene. I thought about how Sunny was shot in the back, shielding me from a bullet.

I thought about Andre and the sicko I was 'sold' to.

I thought about Cain…

I thought about how his 'client' got his face ripped off, his decapitated head rolling on the ground; how Cain himself was thrown into a wall within a dumpster.

I thought about those thugs in the woods who tried to hurt that woman, before deciding they would try to kill us both… only to be the ones who got killed themselves.

"Maybe it's because… you're not much of a monster," I stated quietly.

His ear twitched. He looked at me. "Huh?"

"Those people you killed… they were the monsters. They hurt people for kicks, killing them without conscience," I looked at him. "You never took an innocent life, did you?"

He grimaced, turning away. "Don't think that, just because I killed some pricks, I'm not a monster." He stood up, walking towards the back door in the kitchen. "Lie down and get some rest. The sooner you sleep off that cold, the sooner I can put you to work and keep you from talking."

I cringed, realizing the mistake of my question. For a moment, I had forgotten my 'host' was really a beast.

I lied back down, wrapping up tight with the blanket. It was an hour before I fell asleep.


	23. Reminisces of Puggsy

' _You're not a monster'… What bullshit._ Mandible thought with a grimace as he circled the porch around the cabin, keeping his eyes and ears open for any trespassers; there was a slim chance any gangbangers would be running through the woods this time of day, especially with it snowing so hard, but he wasn't one to take chances.

A cold wind blew, causing a few snowflakes to fly into his face. He grumbled, shaking his head and walking back inside. The blizzard was going to pick up, he could sense, and anyone or anything that was out in the woods would end up snow-blind. No use for going out hunting.

At least there is tons of meat stored downstairs, he kept in mind. As cold as the cellar got, the skinned animals would remain properly stored; he hunted most of the week before he nabbed Vigor, wanting to stock up before winter set in. It wasn't easy- the first few times he had to learn how to rationalize his meals; once he hunted too much and had to throw out rotten deer corpses, while at another point he didn't hunt enough and spent the winter nights desperately hunting whatever woodland creature that wasn't hibernating.

During full moon nights, his cravings for human flesh became severe…

Once Kim dropped by, and he almost snapped…

That's when he convinced her to not waste her time with him, to go and live a long and happy life, making a false promise that he would try and beat this habit on his own.

Kim was the one who suggested he drink wine and tomato juice as a substitute. The tomato juice only made him vomit, as the taste was unbearable to him. Only the wine gave him some sort of satisfaction- though had to be careful not to drink too much, as he learned the hard way werewolves couldn't handle alcohol that well, and he woke up the next morning on top of the roof with one bitch of a hangover.

He walked down to the cellar, now that it crossed his mind.

With Vigor around, he would have to drink at least half a bottle a night to keep his cravings under control… especially since the scent of his blood was like a fine wine itself…

He shook his head. _Patience. That shrimp will need a lot of fattening up before you can eat him._ Mandible told himself, looking around to take stock of how much meat he had. _At least this time I know most of this won't go to waste… unless he ends up eating more than I realize and I end up having to freeze my ass off hunting in this weather, again…_

' _When are you going to cut out this charade?'_ questioned the voice in his head.

He grimaced. _When are you going to stop yours?_

' _You know you don't like doing this. You only do it because you believe it's what you are- even though you know otherwise.'_

 _Bull. You know how strong these cravings are. I was screwed the moment I tasted flesh._

' _But you were always strong enough to resist- you never tried to chew any bones or pierce the skin to taste blood. Once you calmed down, you forgot about the taste-"_

 _I forgot about every taste except that one! Or did you forget how I couldn't even look at other food, or even hear the name of any kind of food, without developing a craving for… for…_

' _Your best friend?'_

Mandible snarled, punching the corpse of a skinned elk off its hook. He took a deep breath, letting it out. _…Yes. Him._

To this day he would never forget that taste.

Fuck, he never forgot anything about him. His wise cracks, his glares, his insults, his quick apologies…

The last time he saw him… right before he was taken from his sight.

The rage he felt, hearing his screams…

The red in his vision as he lost control after seeing his blood…

How everything went black…

How he woke up, finding 'his' blood on his once-human hands, while in his lycanthropic subconscious he was putting the pieces together; both sides of him felt sick with horrific realization.

The only thing left of his best friend was that hat.

The only thing that he both cherished and mourned over, as it reminded him of good memories yet also the tragedy of 'that' night.

Perhaps if Vigor knew the story, he would understand why the werewolf lashed out.

Touching that hat was like letting someone lay a hand on his best friend again.

That's why he kept it hidden, so no one could lay a hand on it and hurt the memories he had.

' _He never saw you as a monster, either.'_ The voice spoke up in his sea of thoughts.

Once again, Mandible snarled, clenching his fists. _Of course he did… He always gave me those heated glares when I appeared, terrified looks when I got rough, and always had me handle the fights!_

' _Would he have the balls to insult you if he thought you were nothing but a cruel beast? Would he have trusted you to get everyone out of danger?! Keep in mind, YOU had to remind HIM of his manners, no different than how he had to remind you of your friendship.'_

He scowled, rubbing his face.

' _But you never did need to be reminded, did you? You felt the urge to eat him, maul him, mess him up… but you always held back. You just wanted to hear him address you as a friend. You always had each other's backs- WE always had each other's backs. He trusted you with his life!'_

"He trusted the wrong wolf…" Mandible stated out loud, pushing the voice back into his subconscious, sick of its speech.

…

Especially since it had a few points.

He began to climb the stairs, thinking about this afternoon.

The kid considered him a hero for a moment.

It had been years since he got that kind of recognition…

But heroes don't kill, do they? If he were still a hero, all the creeps he killed would only be bound and gagged, or stuck in a trap… not hanging dead from tree branches and telephone poles. Heroes don't shed blood, especially to satisfy some sick craving.

Mandible was shaking his head in his disbelief when he heard Vigor's scream.


	24. A Different Nightmare

_~Vigor's Point of View~_

*Creeaaak*

I awoke from sleep the moment I heard the noise upstairs. The house was dark once more, the fire had burned out save for a trifle of cinders. Wind blowing outside served as the only other break in the silence.

"M… Mandible?" I tried to call out, but my voice came out as a whisper, my throat still dry. I looked around for the glass of water I had earlier, only to see it was gone. My 'host' must have taken it back to the kitchen.

*creeaaak… creak… creeeaaak…*

The noise upstairs continued on. It didn't sound like the house was settling.

"Hey… Mandible!" I called, my voice clearer now. "Are you up there?"

No answer.

I stood up, walking over to the stairs and looking up…

Seeing that the door to the 'forbidden' room was ajar.

If he had heard me, he would have answered, let alone made haste to shut the door and probably make some snappy remark.

"M-Mandible! I think someone's in the house!" I called out in a hushed whisper, looking in the kitchen. The cellar door was open, and I began walking over to see if he were down there.

*WHOOSH! BAM!*

I gasped, stepping back as a sharp wind blew the backdoor open, the blizzard outside so fierce I couldn't see past the threshold. Quickly I ran over, pushing the door shut and locking it.

*Creeeeeaaaaaak*

I went back over to the living room entrance, peeking around the corner up the stairs. Someone was up in the room; I noticed a hand pulling out a beat-up drawer. A burglar? Clear out here?

 _Another one of those thugs…?_ I guessed; one of the survivors must have been running through the woods all night and decided to sneak in.

But how did they get past Mandible? As sharp as his senses were, he could have picked up the sounds of an intruder before they even got to the door!

It didn't matter at this moment. Someone was inside, and Mandible wasn't around.

I found myself climbing the stairs, quietly making my way to the room. I crouched by the door, watching as a silhouette moved to the back of the room, kicking away old broken furniture as it looked around.

I saw a broken table leg lying near the door and grabbed it to use as a weapon, walking over to the stranger, raising it over their head and swinging it down hard-

A hand shot out and caught it as the figure turned around, and my blood froze.

Cain was standing there, head bandaged but still baring an evil smirk as if his encounter with the werewolf never happened. "Didn't think I'd find you, did I?"

"W-What…?! No… you can't be here!" I stammered, backing away. "How is this possible?!"

"I have my sources…" He stepped aside… showing the thugs from the other night. "Found these guys running, screaming about a werewolf. They weren't willing to show me the way to the woods, but nothing a couple grand didn't resolve."

"So that monster killed our friends but spared you? What makes you so fucking special?!" One of the thugs snarled, shoving me out the door.

"How did you guys even get in?!" I questioned, backing away.

"The cellar; we hid down there until that monster went outside." Another thug retorted. "Why don't you check it out yourself?!"

I was shoved down the stairs, rolling down in a series of thuds. Despite the fall, I forced myself to my feet and ran for the cellar, figuring I could go out the same way my enemies came in…

I stepped in something wet… finding fresh blood splattered all over the floor. I looked, finding to my horror human corpses hanging from the hooks… the faces familiar.

Sunny was hanging there, her small thin form rotting after weeks. I could see her skull through the peeling skin, one of her eyeballs fell out.

The woman from the other night hung next to her, her entire abdomen torn apart, the life gone from her eyes as she hung there, looking as if she were lost in a trance, blood spilling out of her mouth.

Beside her hung Biff, the hook sticking through his neck, blood spilling out his throat and down his torso, dripping to the floor.

Several more corpses hung, and I made haste to find the exit, seeing the cellar doors open, a howling blizzard outside. I ran-

*SLAM!*

The wind blew the doors shut. I tried to push them open, but they wouldn't budge.

There was chuckling. Cain was in the cellar.

I hurried through the corpses, hiding behind a body.

It did no good. I was grabbed and thrown to the ground as I was surrounded by Cain, the thugs… Andre… more traffickers… and swaying corpses that looked down at me with sunken eyes. Fire circled us all, closing in.

"You're mine, Vigor… No matter where you go, no matter where you hide, you'll always belong to me," Cain said as he pointed a knife to my throat. " _I own you_ …"

Hands held me down, some touching me in lust, as Cain sliced off my bandages, preparing to add a new wound to the collection of scars I bared-

I could only scream. "MANDIBLE…!"

…

And then I awoke in someone's grip.


	25. Perimeter Check

" _MANDIBLE!"_

The moment he heard Vigor's scream, Mandible dashed to the living room. With his speed, he made it from the cellar door to the couch in three seconds flat…

Just in time to find the young man on the floor, having rolled off the couch thrashing in his sleep. Without hesitation the werewolf crouched down and sat him up, shaking him a bit. "Hey! Wake up, kid! You're having a nightmare!" he exclaimed, tapping his cheek when the lad didn't snap out of it. "Vigor!"

"Uaahh!" Vigor gasped, finally waking up and finding himself in the beast's grip. "What the…? W-Where am I?"

"Right now, on the floor. You fell off the couch! …What, are you trying to give yourself another injury?"

Vigor didn't respond right away. He was too busy taking deep breaths, taking in his surroundings; the werewolf noted that his complexion had paled since he fell asleep, and he had broken out into a cold sweat. He could hear his heart pounding in his chest. "…Is someone here?"

Mandible arched an eyebrow. "No… Why?"

"I-I heard noises…upstairs… t-they were here… t-the thugs, the traffickers…"

"It was just a nightmare! No one else is here, calm down."

The lad slowed down his breath, before looking at Mandible. "No one broke in?"

"If they did, I'd be breaking their legs by now."

*creeaak*

The house moaned, settling as the blizzard outside raged on. The sound made Vigor cringe and look at the werewolf, his eyes still filled with fear. "…can you check?"

 _What?_ Mandible blinked. "Check…? I told you, there's no one here!"

"Please? Just to make sure,"

The werewolf sighed, rubbing his face. "Fine…"He stood up, walking towards the backdoor; Vigor followed, looking behind him in his anxious state. "I came in from outside five minutes ago, locking the door behind me. And I just came up from the cellar, so that area is clear,"

Vigor only nodded.

Mandible continued on, checking the bathroom, around the rest of the furniture in the living room, and even the closet. His 'slave' stayed at his side the whole time, looking over his shoulder every few seconds or so whenever the house creaked. _Geez, he's more paranoid than what I used to be!_ The werewolf had to comment to himself.

' _I resent that!'_ the voice in his head sneered. He ignored it.

"See? The front door is locked tight, and all the windows are boarded shut. No one got in," Mandible told Vigor in reassurance.

"What about upstairs?" Vigor asked, still a bit skittish.

The werewolf unleashed a heavy sigh. It was like he was dealing with a child!

Nonetheless, he made his way up the stairs, his prisoner walking beside him while holding the banister. At least the kid was strong enough to walk up the stairs now, the werewolf noted. By tomorrow afternoon the runt can get back to his chores, he guessed.

Once upstairs they checked Vigor's room, finding it empty. They then went down to the 'forbidden' room…

The moment Mandible opened the door, Vigor grasped his arm in fearful anticipation, peering inside.

There was no one in the room. Nothing had been disturbed since Mandible's outburst.

"Happy now?" Mandible asked, shutting the door and locking it again. "I told you no one broke in. It's just you and me,"

"O-okay… I-I just wanted to make sure." Vigor stated, letting go of his arm; he flinched when the house creaked again.

Mandible rolled his eyes, then led him down the hall. "C'mon, since we're up here, you can sleep in your bed. That flu of yours should pass after a decent night's sleep,"

"…if I ever find some…"

The werewolf looked at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" he questioned. "Are your 'sleeping arrangements' not good enough for you or something?! Would you prefer sleeping on the floor?!"

Vigor had his eyes to the ground. "Bed or floor… I'll still have nightmares."

Mandible sneered. "Well excuse me if I trouble your sleep, you ungrateful son of-!"

"They're not about you,"

He paused his rant. "…Huh?" he gave him a curious look. "Then why are you complaining?!"

The lad shook his head. "Never mind… No one was in the house?"

Mandible continued to give him a questionable look. "Uh, as I've said before, it's just you and me here."

"Good." He walked ahead, pausing. "…Thank you, Mandible." He then walked on.

The werewolf cocked an eyebrow. "For what?"

"…for waking me up."

 _Did that cold settle in his brain or something?_ Mandible wondered. The kid was acting weird!

He followed Vigor to his room, watching him sit down on the mattress, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders. He seemed to be in deep thought, or unable to sleep because of whatever haunted his dreams this night.

"Well? Are you going to sleep?" Mandible asked. "It's past sundown now- unless you think you can stay up all night after sleeping all day…"

"No, I'll go to sleep in a minute… but…" Vigor paused, catching himself.

"But… what?"

"Nothing-"

"C'mon, spit it out. What do you need? Once I go out that door, I'm not coming back until morning."

Vigor pulled his knees to his chest. "Can… can you stay here?"

Mandible's eyes widened in surprise. "Huh?"

"It's just… um…" Vigor sighed, lying down. "Never mind. See you in the morning,"

Mandible stared at him.

Vigor asked him to stay.

 _Something in that nightmare really scared him._ He guessed.

Why else would he be acting so strangely?

Let alone call out for the werewolf in his sleep…

He was still awake, tense; like he was afraid to fall back to sleep.

…

The floorboards creaked as Mandible walked over, sitting down by the mattress. Vigor looked over his shoulder at him, curiously.

"Just making sure you go to bed. I'll leave once you're asleep," the werewolf said.

"What if I can't sleep?" the prisoner asked.

"Try,"

"What if I can't?"

"Then I'll knock you out,"

Vigor scoffed, but shut his eyes and tried.

Mandible watched him.

Funny… when the kid tried going to sleep, he looked peaceful.

It was only afterwards when his REM would kick in, his expression tense when he fell deep into his slumber.

Like he had nightmares every night.

 _You're not the only one, kid._ Mandible thought, lying back and staring at the ceiling, letting his mind wander, getting lost in thought before he could get lost in dark memories.


	26. Biff's Speculation

"I can't believe it… The man who got our friend killed is just a few blocks away on life-support, and you haven't done anything about him?!"

That was the statement Kim had responded with after Biff told her of his experience with Vigor. The rookie had to explain that Chief Bergens wanted the criminal alive, in order to give them more information on the trafficking-operation, if not interrogate him into telling them if there are any others.

Kim didn't respond too calmly; she knew Cain wouldn't tell them anything no matter what, and even if he did it would only be a tangle of lies to lead the authorities off-track. Biff knew this too, but he also knew it would do no good to just let the bastard die.

His friend felt otherwise. "People like that don't deserve to live… I wish Mandible killed him!" she had snapped, before storming off to her side of the duplex.

She had been there for the rest of the next day. If it weren't for the blizzard outside, the young officer knew she would no doubt drive to the hospital and unplug Cain's life-support herself. It was a good thing he didn't tell her anything while they were at the hospital!

Since her outburst, things had been quiet, and Biff was left alone with his thoughts.

Kim had seen Vigor the other night; and judging from the footprints, the boy was with Mandible… and, God willing, might still be alive.

Of course he'd be alive, Biff tried to assure himself. Last he saw Vigor, he was still trying to gain weight, only as heavy as 100 LB., and the werewolf preferred his prey thick with muscle or fat- the bigger the person, the more blood for his fill.

The rookie clenched his fists, thinking back to a few attacks…

The families he had seen crying over the loss of loved ones. The scattered bodies, void of intestines and lacking blood. The anxiety that built up around the outskirts of towns every time a full moon drew near.

The police always had to cover the story with an alibi- gang wars, livestock bandits, and serial killers were namely the top reasons. But as the attacks continued every month, rumors soon spread about 'the beast' that lurked around town.

Soon Mandible became a local legend, people stating that it's a monster sent to cleanse the streets of the scourge of society since mostly thugs and low-lives ended up dead; others believed the town became cursed because the city was expanding towards the forest, and the beast was a 'native spirit' that was summoned to draw them away; some figured it was an escaped lab-animal that lived in the forest, only coming into town when there wasn't enough game in the forest, the full moon affecting its senses.

Only few knew the truth- Biff, Kim, the police… and Cain and his client, now dead.

Question is, why did the client meet with Cain on that side of town, where the werewolf attacked most often? The district was full of homeless people, thugs, and scum- even if it wasn't prowled through by a monster, why would a client (who was quite wealthy, judging from his house) even go there to make a deal? In order to keep the police from finding him? Preposterous.

Chances were, if he did want a traffic-victim for a slave, why was he so intent on getting Vigor? Why not skip town and find a new source elsewhere, since the cops would be on to him? Unless he was worried Vigor could describe him- but if that were the case, why did he come back to town, much less meet up with Cain in an alley in the slums?

He thought back to the crime scene… The client's head was ripped off, its facial features shredded clean off; Cain was in a dumpster unconscious… a gun beside him. There was another gun by the headless corpse as well… a bit of blood in the center of a streetlight, next to the footprints of the beast…

Biff's eyes widened. "That's IT!" he exclaimed, pounding his fist on the table. He hurried over to the phone, calling the police department.

"Police department, this is Rebecca," came the voice of the dispatch; Rebecca's voice was easy to hear, as she had a smoker's voice. Everyone on the force figured she was up to three packs a day, unfiltered, due to the stress of the job.

"Becky, it's Biff. I need you to pull up the records of that headless corpse- was it ever identified?"

"That headless corpse? Why?"

"I have a hunch…"

There was a sigh on the other line, but he could tell she was smirking; ol' Becky was one of few who understood how serious Biff was when it came to his deductions on a case, and was the only one who he could trust to get him information no-questions-asked.

After a moment, Becky told him what the file read. "Well, it wasn't easy- we had to identify him by his dental records and blood type. His name was Robert Tremaine. Quiet guy, always kept to himself in that big house he used to live in. Never got around town much."

"Thank you, Rebecca," Biff said before hanging up, then hurried to his computer, looking up any information on Robert.

It wasn't easy, as the name was more common than he believed; after three hours of several background checks, he finally found a match.

Robert Tremaine, according to the database, once belonged to the Explorer's Club in Boston; however, he was accused of fraud after bringing back 'evidence' of a rare species of lion that he supposedly discovered. When the evidence turned out to be nothing but hair from his old sheep-dog, his reputation became null and void.

Robert, in embarrassment, moved out of the city, vowing he would hunt a specimen that would not only get him back into the club, but be rare enough to make him famous. The whole 'You'll all see!' concept.

"So I was right!" Biff said aloud, as his theories were proving positive.

"Right about what?"

Biff turned, seeing that Kim entered. She was wearing a pink robe with a pair of pajama pants and fuzzy slippers, apparently having just woke up that morning. "I found out more about Cain's client," he said, showing her the page he found. "Robert Tremaine- he was supposedly a famous hunter, but his last expedition was proved to be a fraud. He was humiliated, and moved out of Boston… to here,"

"Robert Tremaine…" Kim thought for a moment. "Wasn't he that quiet guy who lived in that huge house on the other side of town? The neighbors used to say he always kept to himself so much, they often forgot he even existed."

"Yeah. He was the one who tried to buy Vigor… I began to think, why would he stick around after Vigor escaped? Why not skip town, change his name, and start over? …Then it dawned on me. Vigor was being used as bait!"

"Bait? Vigor? …but if they needed bait, why did they stick around? They could have used anyone!"

"Because the rest of the human-traffickers were sent to a therapeutic center. Vigor was the only one who was still strong enough to tell us everything he knew about Cain and the traffickers. Cain himself probably stuck around to catch Vigor again- and by using him as bait, they could make sure he wouldn't be able to tell us anything else. His memory wasn't very sharp, but I bet they didn't want to take any chances,"

"But why wait a whole month, like you said?"

"Because… that's the only time Mandible would come back into town. Robert wanted to use Vigor as bait to try and hunt him- and he worked with Cain because he was the only connection he had. They probably blackmailed one another, or maybe promised to share the profits- I don't know. I just know that it makes sense that they came back for Vigor to make him bait, because all of Cain's other accomplices and captives had either been taken away or slaughtered."

Kim thought for a moment. "It doesn't quite add up- I mean it's a good theory, but there's too many holes. They would have known Vigor had told you everything he knew- and from what I've learned, trafficking victims don't get to see where they're taken to, or know who kidnaps or purchases them."

"But he knew Cain… And Cain must've learned from Robert that Mandible was here. That's another reason he stuck around… to finish what he started years ago."

"That's another thing- Robert lived on the classier side of town. How could he have learned about Mandible?"

"From the rumors around town, of course! He felt there was a chance, and as fate would have it contacted Cain for people to use as bait. He had a truck full of people- he was probably going to use all of them in his attempts to capture Mandible!"

"Maybe there's a different reason…" Kim pondered aloud, sitting down on the couch. "I doubt Cain would just want to help someone catch a werewolf. And from the way you put it, he sounds too obsessed about Vigor to use him as bait- and if his memory is gone, Cain wouldn't worry about him telling anyone anything."

"So what do you think?"

"I don't know yet… I just have a feeling Cain wasn't in this to help some guy get back into some exclusive club. But I do agree that he might be after Fang- um, M-Mandible." She looked out the window. "…And as soon as he comes out of that coma, I'm going to make sure he gets his comeuppance!"

"You have to stay calm, Kim. I know- I want him dead too. Right now, though, I'm worried about Vigor." He looked out the window with her. "If he is out there with Mandible… *sigh*"

Kim stood up, resting a hand on his shoulder. "As soon as the roads clear up, we'll go out and find him. We'll take the back-route. It may take a couple hours longer, but it may be the only road we can take since the other one is blocked off."

Biff looked out at the blizzard. "Right. As soon as the roads clear. …Vigor had better still be alive,"

Kim only looked to the ground, choosing not to respond and start another disagreement.


	27. Fatigue

When Mandible went to check on Vigor the next morning, he was surprised to see the lad sitting up on the mattress, awake. There was a tired look on his face, despite he seemed deep in thought.

"Hey," The werewolf said, getting his attention. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Vigor mumbled.

"Alright. Come downstairs- you can start your chores after breakfast."

"No thanks. I don't have an appetite this morning,"

The werewolf arched an eyebrow. "You emptied your bowels yesterday! You're going to get stomach cramps if you don't put something in it,"

"I'll be fine." Vigor stood up, walking past him. "Where should I start?"

"Um… the bathroom. Since you were in there so much, you can clean it up- scrub it good, make sure it's disinfected. I don't want to get sick next!"

Vigor only nodded, going off to do his chore. Ten minutes later, Mandible checked on him again, seeing him with a sponge and bucked of water, washing the bathroom floor; in a basket were the used washcloths and his clothes from the night before. He then went and started scrubbing the toilet again.

When he was done in the bathroom, he started cleaning in the living room, mainly folding the used blankets and taking the leftover dishes from last night into the kitchen to wash.

By noon his appetite returned- somewhat. The most the boy ate was a turkey sandwich with a glass of water.

Mandible continued to watch him. There was a lost gaze in his eye, as if his mind were elsewhere. Occasionally he would yawn, before shaking his head rapidly and focusing on his task.

After a day of cleaning, Vigor went up to bed. Mandible stood by the doorway, watching through the crack as the boy lied on his side, seemingly going to sleep.

…

The next two days were the same routine; Vigor would get up, this time having a small breakfast consisting of cereal, before going to work, only taking breaks when it was time to eat, though his portions remained minimal.

Mandible watched the kid work. Outside of the forbidden room and cellar, he had cleaned every part of the cabin… twice! Aside from that, the lad had circles under his eyes, as if he weren't sleeping well at night.

Or at all.

Each night Mandible watched him go to bed. The boy would lie still, but the werewolf could tell he wasn't sleeping.

Were his nightmares that horrible?

On the third day, the blizzard had stopped. The sky was overcast with clouds, the air chilled to single digits, and the entire area was blanketed in snow. The cabin was covered as well, with four feet of snow spread across the deck.

A bit of snow also fell through the chimney, landing on a log before Mandible had a chance to light a fire in order to cook some more meat. Sighing in irritation, the werewolf rubbed his face, walking to the kitchen where Vigor was in the middle of doing dishes.

"New job," The werewolf announced, shoving a heavy coat, gloves and ski-cap in his arms; the host himself wrapped a scarf around his neck while grabbing a snow-shovel. "Go out and shovel the snow off the deck… I'm going to find a way to shield the chimney,"

"Huh? Oh, okay…" Vigor replied, a tired tone in his voice.

"And no lazing around! If I come down and find you napping on the job, I'll make you shovel the whole yard until the grass shows!"

"What do you take me for, a slacker?" Vigor scoffed. At least his attitude remained the same.

Mandible climbed up to the roof; thankfully it was so packed with snow that it wasn't too slick, though he remained cautious. Having a history involving falling off high places stuck with him after all these years.

Reaching the chimney, he noticed the problem. With so much snow on the roof, a pile of it built up around the chimney, some of it sliding off into the opening. Mandible got to work, using his paws to shovel the snow off the roof- especially before the weight got too heavy and made it collapse.

After a minute, however, the shoveling was starting to freeze his paws. Thinking for a moment, he came up with a faster solution.

Inhaling deep, he blew as hard as he could, sending all the snow flying off the roof in a mini-blizzard, down to the ground below! "Heh, still got it," he said. It wasn't everyday he got to use one of his old tricks.

With the roof snow-free, he climbed down onto the deck, finding most of the snow from the roof landed on the porch. He began walking to the back door, when he noticed something amiss.

Vigor was nowhere to be seen.

"Where'd he…? Vigor! Where are you?!" Mandible shouted, looking over the railing for any footprints indicating that the boy took off again.

"Mmf-ihh-hhpph!" came a muffled reply from a pile of snow, and he saw a gloved hand pop out.

"What the…?!" Mandible brushed the snow aside until Vigor's head popped up. "What're you doing playing in the snow for?! You've got work to do!"

"I w-w-WAS doing it… BEFORE the avalanche h-hit!" Vigor retorted, shivering. "C-Could've given me a heads up, you i-i-idiot!"

"The whole place was covered, you should've been careful of falling snow in the first place! …And call me 'idiot' again, and I'll bury you in the snow!"

"W-Whatever… Since you added snow to the porch, why don't you pitch in and help me out?"

The werewolf snorted. "Since when does a master help his slave? It's your job, you do it!"

Vigor sneered, watching the werewolf walk off. He looked up at the edge of the roof, seeing some snow still on the edge of it. He lifted up the shovel, hitting underneath the awning.

*Splot!*

The snow on the edge slipped and fell on Mandible's head! The werewolf turned, glaring at Vigor. "…You missed a spot," the lad remarked.

*SPLOIT!*

Mandible retorted with a snowball to his face. "Never challenge a werewolf to a snowball-fight, kid." He scoffed, before going inside the house.

…

A couple hours later, Vigor was done with his task. By this time, Mandible had a fresh log on the fire, and the boy went and sat down to warm up. He looked out the boarded-up windows, seeing the late afternoon was trying to shine through the gray clouds.

"What do you want for dinner?" Mandible asked, walking in. "And don't say just a sandwich- if you keep eating little, the food in the fridge will spoil before the week is out."

Vigor stood up, walking over to the kitchen and looking in the fridge, seeing an assortment of vegetables, and some fresh-cut meat on a plate. "What about stew?" he suggested.

Mandible crossed his arms. "Seriously? It takes forever to cook something over that fireplace. It took me two hours just to cook that meat on a spit!"

Vigor looked back over at the wood-burning stove. "Cooking on a stove would be easier,"

"I told you, the pipe is clogged,"

"So unclog it,"

"What?!"

Vigor put his coat and gloves back on. "Cooking over the fireplace doesn't really help do much- if we got the stove working, it would be easier to prepare meals. Plus, if you just leave the pipes clogged, it could become hazardous- if something died in there, it might have maggots and cause disease. It's better to just get it done and over with, rather than ignore it."

Mandible crossed his arms. "We'd save more firewood without it!"

"It's not like it takes ten logs," Vigor opened up the door to the burner. "I think only one will do; the fireplace itself takes up to three. And we'll only use it when we cook- the fireplace always needs a fresh log to keep the cabin from getting cold. So either way we'll have to go out and chop wood if the pile runs low,"

A temple throbbed in Mandible's head. "Are you being a smart-ass or something?"

"Are you mad because I have a point?"

The werewolf snarled, his paws held forth in a way that he wanted to strangle the kid… but his arms dropped, and he rubbed his face. The kid did have a point, though he wouldn't bring himself to admit it. "Fine. We'll give it a try- but you're cutting the wood!"

"Fair enough. Now what should we use to unclog the pipe?"

Mandible looked around, before grabbing the broom and tying a feather-duster to it. "This'll have to do." He then grabbed a rope, handing it to Vigor. "Here- you'll need this when you get up there,"

"Huh? Why me?"

"You're the one who wants to use the stove, so you can clean out the pipes!" he walked over to the pipes, using his strength to pop off one of the lower ones so he could peer up inside. "It's way up there… I'll stay down here and let you know when it falls out,"

Vigor sighed, but obeyed. They stepped outside and Mandible helped him onto the roof. It was still slick, so the lad had to crawl to get to the pipe.

Once there, he tied one end of the rope around his waist and the other around the pipe, then unscrewed the cap and started plunging the feather duster inside.

Down in the kitchen, Mandible coughed as debris and soot fell out of the pipe, landing in a plume.

"Did anything fall out yet?" Vigor called into the pipe after five minutes.

"No- keep at it… by the way, you have to sweep the kitchen again!" Mandible responded.

Vigor scoffed, though had to grin. The werewolf's wise-cracks were pretty funny. It was a step-up from him shouting threats, at least.

He plunged the broom deeper, feeling it hit something. "Aha!" he continued to jab at it… until suddenly the feather-duster slid past it, part of whatever it was catching onto the handle. With a mighty tug, Vigor pulled up the make-shift pipecleaner…

And up with it came the rotting remains of some unidentifiable woodland creature!

"Gah!" Vigor shrieked as the small corpse landed in his lap. Disgusted he scrambled back, kicking it away…

In his panic, he slid back, sliding down the edge of the roof! Gasping he grabbed onto the rope, handing on and trying to climb back up.

"Vigor! What's going on up there?!" Mandible called from inside.

"I-I slipped! Don't worry, I'm-" Vigor began to call, until he felt himself jerk backwards. He looked up…

Seeing that the pipe was starting to give from the weight!

"Shit!" Vigor hurried to reach it, but his feet kept slipping, causing him to tug on the rope more than he wanted to-

The pipe broke. He slid down the roof, his body turning so that he was going over head-first over the ledge, angled that he'd go over the deck railing-

 _He saw Cain in his vision._

" _You'll never escape," the villain said in promise, kicking him in the stomach._

" _That little bitch you're so close to isn't around to cheer you up, anymore." Andre added, whipping him in the back. "Me and the boys fucked her up good!"_

 _Another kick to the gut. "Know your place. Even if you get out… where will you go? You have no one. No matter what you do, this will be the only place you'll remember." He held up a syringe. "We'll make sure of that…"_

" _Don't bother trying to run from us again… We'll always find you. You'll always belong to us. We own you."_

 _And then he was stabbed with the needle, right in the neck._

Vigor gasped, finding himself dangling over the edge…

Mandible was holding onto his leg, turning him upright and holding him up to eye-level. "Dammit, Vigor, if you're going to keep pulling stunts like this…!" he was snapping.

He was cut off when Vigor clung to him, hyperventilating. "T-They got me… they got me…" he stammered over and over.

"Huh? What are you talking about? I'm the one who got you- or would you prefer landing facedown and breaking your neck?"

Vigor shook his head. "They got me… all this time I… I tried to stay strong… but… I can't… they… they took my memories…!"

Mandible felt him shake. "Calm down, kid. Try to speak in complete sentences at least!"

"I… I…" Vigor tried to control his breathing…

With a *thump!* the rotted corpse of the dead vermin landed on the porch. Vigor gave a jolt.

"Geez, get a grip!" Mandible sneered, kicking the carcass off the deck to be lost in the snow. He set Vigor down, guiding him inside. "You're just shook up from the fall. You're alright!"

"T-They took my memories… all I'll remember is that place… the pain, the torture… Sunny- I wanted to save her… I couldn't… I promised her I'd stay strong… but they got me in the end…" Vigor continued to stammer, still in a panic.

"Vigor. Vigor! Calm down!" Mandible said.

"They got me!" He cried.

*Slap!*

Not using too much of his strength, Mandible smacked him across the face. Vigor gasped, looking at the werewolf as if he just woke up from a dream. "Focus! Hear me out- No one's got you. Those guys don't own you anymore. You're with ME now." He gave him a shake. "Listen to me. You. Are. All. Right."

Vigor drew in deep breaths. His mind cleared up from his panic… but the memory remained. "…no I'm not. I don't think I will be again," he turned away from the werewolf, numbly walking over and grabbing the broom. "…Sorry you had to save me, again. I'll fix the pipe tomorrow,"

Before the lad could begin sweeping, Mandible took the broom from him. "You've done enough work today… go to bed early."

Vigor looked at him. "But…"

"No 'buts'. You look worse than that corpse… *sniff* …ugh, and you smell just as bad. Go take a shower, then head up to your room."

"What about dinner?"

"Do you still have an appetite?"

"…kind of."

"I'll make you something." He patted him on the shoulder. "…We'll try the stove tomorrow, alright?"

Vigor looked to the ground, sighing.

As usual, he did as he was told.

…

Once he was done in the shower, he ate another sandwich, this time with a side of fruit and a glass of milk. Mandible himself ate the meat that was in the fridge. Neither of them spoke.

Afterwards, Vigor was sent to his room to sleep. This time Mandible sat nearby to make sure he slept. "I don't need you to watch me," the lad muttered.

"Well I'm gonna. I can tell you haven't been sleeping at night, just from how worn out you look during the day." Mandible retorted. "And the last thing I need is for you to collapse while I'm ordering you around!"

Vigor gave him a glare. "Gee, so glad I'm a priority." He lied down. "…don't see why I should sleep… all I have are nightmares about that damn hell-hole."

"Because you haven't moved on from it yet. …You gotta learn to let it go, kid. For fuck's sake, you're living with a werewolf who made you his slave! That place should have been forgotten the moment you laid eyes on me!"

"That's another thing… I've forgotten so much that it's all I remember. I could be stuck with you for a whole year, and still have nightmares about it."

"Yeah? I doubt it. I think the reason you keep having nightmares is because you choose to let it bother you. You choose to let it scare you, rather than accepting that it's in the past and can't hurt you anymore."

Vigor looked at him. "If you only had one kind of memory haunting your mind, could you move on?"

Mandible paused. He sighed. "…You're talking to someone who has to deal with one dark memory after another. The difference is… I move on, whether I want to or not. If I repeat my mistakes- well, then I just have to keep going and not let them hold me back."

"Mm." Vigor looked at the ceiling. "…I just wish I could remember how I got to that place… what my life was like before then…"

"Wonder all you want, kid. You can think about your past, you can dream about your future… but you'll still find yourself in the present. You're here with me. No one's coming after you, no one's around to torture you, and the only memories you'll have are the ones you make now."

"…do you have any good memories?"

Mandible sighed. "Yeah. …Before I became a monster, when I had friends, when I could see the world… but like I said, it's in the past. No need to dwell on memories,"

"Why not share them?"

"Huh?"

"You said you saw the world… can you tell me about it?"

Mandible arched an eyebrow looking at his slave… but, there was sincere curiosity in his eyes. "I guess… but only once. Then you go to sleep,"

Vigor scoffed. "Alright, 'Dad',"

"Watch the tone or you're grounded."

Vigor scoffed but grinned, lying down.

Mandible thought for a moment… It had been a while since he thought about the old days…

"Okay, I got one… Believe it or not, but there was this guy who also turned into a werewolf- except rather than being all-natural like me, he had to use a potion. So, I find myself at this zoo where he works, ending up accused of kidnapping animals he was snatching… Turns out turning into a wolf wasn't good enough for him, as he wanted to become any kind of animal!"

"No way… you're making this up!"

"I am not! You want to hear a story, or what?"

"Heh, sorry. Continue,"

Mandible continued the story, talking about how he was captured rather than the crooked-werewolf. Somehow he managed to get out- he couldn't quite remember how- and eventually the false-wolf was caught in a trap, and he was allowed to go free.

The only details he left out were about his friends. He couldn't bring them up yet… especially his best friend…

He had yet to find the closure to even think about him again.

"So… then what happened…?" Vigor mumbled, almost dosing off.

"Then I went home." Mandible finished.

"Where else did you go…?" his eyes were growing heavy.

"A lot of places… but right now, the only place I'm going to go is to sleep- and I suggest you do the same,"

"No, no… I want to hear more… please…"

Mandible reached over, sliding his eyelids closed. "Sleeeeep."

"…okay…" With that, Vigor drifted off to dreamland.

Mandible watched him for up to an hour.

The kid stayed peaceful as far as he could tell… as he fell asleep next.


	28. Kindness?

_~Vigor's Point of View~_

The Nightmare continued from where it left off last time- I was knocked down when escaping a burning room, a light before me…

As I fell… the light got brighter…

And for the first time, the Nightmare shifted into a different dream.

I found myself lying in a field of green grass. The bright light was the sun shining in a blue sky, a few white, puffy clouds passing overhead as a warm wind blew.

 _Huh? Where am I?_ I wondered within the dream, sitting up. It was quiet and calm… something I wasn't used to in my slumber. I felt like I was going to wake up… but my subconscious must have felt I had to stay asleep in order to see what all was here.

" _You can help him..."_

…Or rather, _who_ was here.

…?!

I sat up quick, turning in the direction of the voice.

There was a tall man standing there, his back to me. He was wearing all-white, his skin pale as if he had never seen the sun, and his hair was shoulder-length and messy.

"Who are you?" I asked.

" _You don't remember me?"_

I blinked. "…do you… know me?"

" _Do I? …This is your dream, your mind. Surely you must know something about me,"_

I stood up, approaching him. "Let me see your face…"

But when I got closer, he vanished with the wind, appearing on the other side of me, turned away from me as before. " _You cannot see what you can't remember. I'm sure you will remember in time. Your memory is starting to clear up after so long,"_

"After so long…?"

" _Those shots. They weren't just vaccinations- they wanted to make sure you forgot everything. But you remembered to be strong. …You always were a stubborn guy."_

I only stared. This stranger in my dreams was so ambiguous.

I felt lightheaded, kneeling to the ground. "I… I don't understand… if I can't remember you, how can I remember that you know me? Y-You must know! Who am I?!"

" _Sometimes dreams are based off of desires. You are hoping someone out there remembers you… even though you've changed a great deal."_

"I want to see your face… I want to remember someone!"

" _Oh… so you want to see a face to help you remember? …How are you so sure you haven't already?"_

"H-Huh?" My head was swimming. I fell back, rubbing my face. "Can't you give me a clear answer? …ugh, my head…"

"… _Don't force yourself. Your mind has been through a lot- it will take a lot of time for your memory to return."_

"But I was with Biff for a month! W-Why didn't it clear up then?"

" _Like I said, it's going to take a lot of time. Those drugs they used on you really fogged you up."_

"You mean fucked me up?"

" _Hey, watch the language."_

I blinked. His voice was starting to sound familiar…

" _In the meantime… you should help him."_

"What? …Help who?"

" _He's been through a lot as well… you can tell that, can't you? It's not easy when people see you as a monster. His mind is in a dark place… he needs to remember what his heart is for. I know you can help—you're the only one who can."_

I thought for a moment. "You mean… Mandible? How do you know him?! How do you know me?!"

" _Like I said… it's your dream, your mind. I can only tell you what you feel- what you hope for. You want to change him, don't you?"_

I tried to get up… but I was stuck on the ground. It felt so soft…

" _See you next time you dream…"_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

When I woke up, I heard heavy breathing; my mattress felt softer… seemed to rise and fall in rhythm to my breathing… kind of smelled funny…

When I opened my eyes, I realized my sleeping arrangements changed during the night.

Rather than sleeping on my mattress… I was lying on top of Mandible!

 _Oh shit!_ I lied still, knowing if I hurried I would probably wake him up. The werewolf was snoring heavily, as if he had yet to notice. I looked over at the mattress.

Timing myself, I rolled back onto the mattress, lying still and looking back. The werewolf stirred, but didn't get up, turning on his side.

I sighed. How did I even get in that position anyway?

"…You drool in your sleep,"

"Huh?" I gasped, looking at the werewolf.

"There's saliva in my fur- and I'm pretty sure it's not mine. Plus I knew you what you did,"

"What makes you think I did something?" I asked, trying to play it cool.

"Because I woke up when you crawled on top of me!"

I flinched. Of course that was the reason…

"I was going to throw you back on the mattress and tie you there… though, as quiet as you got, I figured I'd deal with it. Better to use some runt as a blanket than listen to him cry in his sleep again," he sat up, looking at his fur, rubbing a damp spot on his abdomen. "…come to think of it, I think this is from tears rather than spit."

"I was crying in my sleep…?"

"You didn't know? You pretty much do it every night- when you don't cry, you always have a freaked out expression." He rested an arm on one knee, shifting to get comfortable as he spoke. "You dosed off after I talked to you last night, and for a minute I figured the story would give you something else to dream about rather than whatever fucked-up nightmare you keep having. I drifted off myself when suddenly you started rolling around in your sleep, ending up on top of me… then just lied there.

"At first I thought you'd wake up, but you didn't. I tried waking you up, but you were out cold- didn't really surprise me, since you went a couple nights without sleep. Then your breathing steadied, your crying stopped, and you went as limp as a ragdoll. …I was going to put you back, but I didn't want to risk causing some new nightmare to occur."

I smirked. I had to make a crack. "Either that or you just wanted a snuggle-buddy,"

Mandible sneered. "I'd rather have a sexy she-wolf with a long tail and green eyes." He stood up, looking through a crack in the boarded-up window. "It's barely sunrise. We can sleep in some more,"

"Sleep in? Normally you put me to work the moment I wake up!"

"Yeah, well, as much as you've been cleaning the last three days dust has barely had time to settle. Not really much you can do this early, since you've done everything yesterday."

I thought for a moment. "What about the stove-pipe? It's broken,"

"I'LL fix that. Like I'm going to risk my slave slipping and falling off the roof again," He began walking out the door. "The only thing I can think of is having you sweep up the debris in the kitchen, but it can wait. Until then, sleep before you get sick again."

With that he left.

I sat on the mattress for a moment, left with my ponderings. My 'master' was being rather generous this morning…

Was it because of our position this morning?

 _I woke him up when I lied on top of him, he said; he could have just put me on the mattress but didn't; and now he's letting me sleep in?_ I wondered. I didn't buy his excuse revolving around wanting a good night's sleep.

I thought back to yesterday, back to my panic attack. I rubbed my cheek, still feeling where the werewolf slapped me. As amazing as his strength was, he could have broken my neck with one swipe… but he held back enough to just snap me out of it, speaking to me calmly.

I thought back to nights prior, when I had a different nightmare, delirious with fear as I believed someone was still in the house. Despite his irritation, he searched around the house to reassure me that I was safe.

He stayed by my bedside that night too, though when I woke up the next morning I found he had left. I had spaced out then, thinking about the nightmare… wondering just how long I would remain safe out here… thinking about how I could never walk the streets of society again…

After that, I stopped sleeping, only lying awake in bed, thinking about Biff, that woman, and Sunny. I knew I would just have the Nightmare again, as I did every night- if not the main Nightmare, then a different one.

I grew afraid to fall asleep…

That is… until last night.

I thought about this new dream I had. The stranger in my dreams was vague… but at least he wasn't trying to rape or kill me. There was no fire, no shadows, no monstrous howls or screams of pain, no blood… just a beautiful field on a beautiful day.

His voice was soothing too… despite he wasn't giving me a clear answer, I felt no alarm.

He said I might have seen familiar faces I had yet to remember.

Was he talking about Biff? I racked my brains, but the most I could remember about him was how he took me in for a month.

Was it the woman? I tried to think, but I couldn't even place a name, outside of Sunny's. Both of them had dark skin and black hair. I wonder if they were related…

…

He also said I had to help Mandible 'remember what his heart is for'.

I lied down, thinking about that. His mind is in a dark place, that I know for certain… but his heart?

I thought back to our conversation the night I got sick. How I believed he wasn't a monster… and how pissed he was, believing otherwise.

He killed innocent people, it was easy to guess…

…

But… he couldn't help himself, could he?

I remember the bloodlust in his eyes when I cut my hand. It was a miracle he didn't snap back then!

He was part-animal. Animals, when hungry enough, develop hunting instincts. It's just their nature to feed themselves, no different than when wolves hunt to eat. In the vice-versa, humans also hunt animals- hell, often just for the sake of sport!

He was part human too, wasn't he? A human-half overcome with animal urges…

Yet… he wasn't a monster…

I had seen real monsters. A real monster kills for pleasure, for gain, for dominance. Sometimes they don't even kill- they like to torture someone to their breaking point, force them to be their slave to follow their every order, or make them their toy to fuck with whenever they please.

Mandible made me his slave… yet… he did something that no one else would do if they had power over someone. He could threaten me with his strength, beat me as much as he pleased, force me to work until I passed out, lock me away for days, starve me and make me beg for scraps… pretty much train me to do his bidding, as Cain had tried to do.

But he wasn't Cain.

He wasn't a monster.

There was no need to compare.

Unlike them… he was more human.

He showed me mercy. He gave me food, a place to sleep, bathed me, dressed my wounds… saved my life… let me sleep on him, just to make sure I wouldn't have another nightmare.

No… despite what he did in the past—I don't care. Right now, to me, he wasn't some beast.

Despite his dominance over me, he showed me kindness.

…

Yet the question remained.

How long would it last?

My eyelids grew heavy, and I fell asleep…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

*CLANG!*

I fire in my nightmare barely had time to become a tiny flame when I woke up to the sound downstairs, followed by a voice…

" _Agh, fucking dammit- stupid fucking pipe, you fucking piece of shit, fucking fuck fuck aaaggghhhh…!"_

I had to cover my mouth to stifle a laugh.

Deciding I could rest later, I went downstairs to see if Mandible could use some help… even if he denied it.


	29. A Couple Hints

_~Third Person Perspective~_

It was a simple task.

Just re-attach the pipe to the stove.

The problem?

Getting one piece to stay attached in the ceiling instead of falling on your toes.

Easier said than _done_.

"Agh…! Dammit…!" Mandible continued to curse as his foot throbbed. "Fucking pipe…! Didn't stay…! Grrrrr!"

In agitation, he kicked the fallen piece… though hadn't given it a second thought as he ended up using his injured foot, making him yelp in pain and use every swear word in the book. He sat down, rubbing his foot, wincing.

He forgot how sensitive his feet were; while he could take an injury to the head, chest, or arm, his feet were the areas that were more prone to pain- as if they were his Achilles Heel. A knife to the shoulder felt soothing compared to whatever would happen to his soles!

He was so focused on his pain that he didn't hear someone enter the kitchen, that is until he spoke. "Need some help?" Vigor asked, walking up to him.

The werewolf only grimaced. "I'm fine, thank you." He muttered. "I thought I told you to go to rest!"

"If I rest any more, I'll become sluggish." The lad looked at the pipe on the floor, then at the pieces on the stove and ceiling. "So what happened?"

Mandible scoffed. "The frickin' pipe fell while I was trying to attach a piece to the stove." He pointed. "They're too far apart- I have to hold one part up while I put on the elbow, and then attach it to this long piece that goes in the ceiling."

"Then I'll hold up the pipe while you attach them."

"Ha! Like a weakling like you could hold something this heavy!"

Vigor clenched his fists, though emitted a quiet sigh; he looked disappointed. "…just let me try. Or do you want to keep dropping things on your foot?"

Mandible rolled his eyes. "Fine. But don't complain to me if you throw out your back!"

He picked up the long pipe once more, sticking it in the ceiling. He instructed Vigor how to hold it- wrap one arm around it to keep it steady while using one hand to support the bottom. His servant did as he was told- and looked as if he were about to crack from the strain.

"I told you it was heavy!"

"It's not…! It's just cumbersome…!" Vigor grunted, forcing himself to stay steady and hold strong.

Better hurry before the kid kills himself, Mandible figured and grabbed the elbow piece, fixating it to the long piece (having Vigor support it by the corner now) then grabbed a shorter pipe that would connect it to the stove.

"There, done." Mandible stated. He had to chuckle as he heard Vigor let out a gasp of exasperation, seeing him lean against the counter. The werewolf chuckled, turning to make a wise-crack-

*Boot!*

…Only to end up stubbing his toe on a stove-leg.

"Agh, son of a…!" He snapped, as his already-bruised foot throbbed once more. He hopped around on one leg as he rubbed it, hissing and mumbling curses. "Stupid… fucking… shit…!"

"Here, hold still,"

The werewolf paused in his writhe of pain, seeing Vigor walk over with a cold washcloth. "It's fine- I'm fine!" he snarled, lowering his foot… ending up hissing in pain as it throbbed again, and he ended up taking a seat to keep weight off it.

"It's starting to swell." Vigor knelt down, gently putting the cold cloth on it.

"Ow…! Dammit, that hurts!" Mandible sneered.

"Just hold still, and think of something else."

"Easy for you to say! You're not the one with a bruise on his foot…!"

Vigor didn't respond, though there was a dark look in his eye.

Oh, yeah. He had to deal with his own injuries, didn't he?

"I mean… you're not the one in pain right now," Mandible said quickly.

"Look. You tended to my injuries, I'll tend to yours." Vigor sighed, wrapping the cloth around the foot.

The werewolf looked, seeing the bandage on his hand- he had a point there. "Alright… if it'll stop your fretting- ah!" he cringed, as the tip of his toe bumped Vigor's knee a bit.

"T-Try not to move it," The lad then began to rub his foot, his fingers pressing gently into the cloth. "Here, does this help?"

Mandible froze… it had been years since someone rubbed his foot.

He found himself going limp, sighing.

Vigor paused for a moment, looking up at him in curiosity, before returning to the task. Whatever keeps the werewolf calm, he guessed. "I'll go get some bandages… Do you have an ice-pack in the freezer?" he asked. "I can put it on your foot,"

"No… but it's alright," Mandible replied, flexing his toes a bit. "It's still sore, but not too bad. I'll just put my feet up for a bit," he then grinned. "While I do that, you can clean up in the kitchen- starting by cleaning out the stove. It's been out of use for a while, so there's sure to be plenty of grime for you to scrub off,"

Vigor scoffed, standing up. "You're welcome," he then walked over to the sink, filling up the bucket he always used in his chores.

As he did, Mandible walked out of the room, sitting on the couch; he lifted his bruised foot, folding it over his knee and rubbing it himself, thinking back to the past…

Normally whenever he got a foot-massage, it was to keep him from eating 'him'. It was always the only way to keep his cravings repressed; by caressing his most sensitive part, it took his mind off his hunger- his constant battle between his humanity and bloodlust- and soothed him. Like a dog getting his ears scratched, he guessed.

…

But it didn't work for everything.

After 'it' happened, when his cravings grew, he would always have Biff or Kim rub his foot every full moon in order to keep him from harming others. That if they kept him calm, no one else would become his prey…

It was a failure. He would only be calmed for a couple hours… eventually only a few minutes… then the repressed urges would surface again, only more severe.

Kim claimed he needed a new solution. Something else that would not only keep his mind off his cravings, but have him forget them altogether.

He tried everything- hunting animals, taking long walks, sleeping more, drinking wine…

Nothing kept him relaxed long enough.

He looked towards the window.

In a month, the moon would be full again.

Unless more thugs are dumb enough to enter the woods, Vigor's servitude will be short-lived.

' _Things will be alright'_ assured the voice in his head.

 _How are you so sure?_ Mandible questioned. _Because I've got some pipsqueak around? That's not going to help… Biff couldn't help, Kim couldn't help… I almost killed my cousin, remember?! Having someone else around isn't going to change jack-shit! I'm a monster!_

' _Not to him. …If he saw you as a monster, would he allow himself to get this close to you?'_

Mandible sighed. He looked towards the kitchen, watching as Vigor scrubbed the inside of the stove, a bit of old soot on his face.

 _It's letting him get close that worries me…_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

While Mandible was out of the room, Vigor kept to his chores, lost in his own thoughts.

Admittedly, seeing the werewolf in minor pain was amusing for a moment… but the slave wasn't one to point and laugh. Seeing the look of pain on his host's face kept him from doing so- because he had more than his share of experience with pain.

Perhaps that's why he wanted to tend to the small injury; granted stubbing your toe, despite the sharp pain, wasn't as bad as needing stitches or cutting your hand, it seemed to be severe for the werewolf.

 _How ironic- he can take a stab to the shoulder, but can't handle a sore foot!_ Vigor thought, stifling a chuckle. _Wonder how he got along before I came along…_

He finished cleaning the inside of the oven, moving up to wipe down the burners. He didn't mind helping the werewolf- as he stated before, it was the least he could do for what his master had given him…

…

But a foot-rub though?

This was where the lad had to pause and think. Sure, it helped Mandible relax so he wouldn't put too much pressure on his foot… but Vigor didn't notice that until afterwards.

For a moment he felt it was just an idea to calm down the werewolf… but how did he get such an idea? What made him think that giving an 8-foot-tall, vicious, bloodthirsty creature a foot-massage would be enough to relax him?

He shut his eyes a moment. In the back of his mind, somewhere, he felt that he just… knew.

Perhaps there were more things he knew… but when he tried to think more into it, his mind drew a blank, and he ended up getting a headache.

Sighing, he got back to his work, moving on to sweep the floor. As he did his stomach growled; he hadn't eaten breakfast yet, he realized.

Finishing up his sweeping, he walked over to the cupboards, finding a frying pan. He then walked out into the living room, seeing Mandible was lying on the couch- staring at the ceiling as if lost in his own realm of thinking. Vigor cleared his throat, getting his attention. "I'm going to try out the stove. Is that alright?" he asked.

"Um, yeah- here, I'll show you how to do it." The werewolf replied, moving to stand up but paused, cringing a bit.

"Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it. You don't need to get up," Vigor walked over to the log-pile, grabbing a small log. "One log should be enough, right?"

"Yeah… though add some extra kindling."He pointed over to a bucket in the corner, filled with sticks and twigs. "Just a handful though."

Vigor nodded, walking over and grabbing a couple sticks and a fistful of twigs, then grabbed the matchbook off the fireplace.

Five minutes later he had a fire started in the stove, shutting the door and waiting for the thermometer to reach high enough for him to cook on the stove-top. As he waited, he stepped back into the living room. "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Huh?" Mandible responded, looking at him in curiosity.

"I can make you something if you want."

Mandible chuckled. "Like I'd trust your cooking. …I'm good, kid. I'll eat some rabbit-tenderloin later."

Vigor crossed his arms. "You know… it's not good to just eat meat all the time. You should expand your diet,"

He scoffed. "I'm a carnivore, jackass. Meat is all I can eat,"

"Meat is what you choose to eat. And eating it raw isn't healthy either- you'll get tapeworm,"

"I'm a WEREWOLF. My stomach isn't the same as yours! I can handle it!"

" _Wild_ wolves can handle it. Werewolves… well, you're part human, right?"

Mandible scowled. "What makes you so sure?"

Vigor paused… how did he know that?

"I…" he rubbed his head. "…I know about it from somewhere…" he tried to concentrate. "Werewolves can change human… can't they?" he looked at Mandible. "Can you?"

Mandible studied him, as if to see whether or not the kid was mocking him… but he sincerely didn't know where these ideas were coming from. First the foot-massage, now this 'fact'… or was it a fact?

The werewolf sighed. "I can't. I lost touch with my humanity a long time ago. …I doubt I was even human to begin with. I don't recall any memories of such, at least." He shook his head. "Weren't you making breakfast?"

Vigor turned around, running back to check the stove, seeing that the dial was near the middle-mark. Close enough; he put the pan on with a slice of butter, then walked over to the fridge for some eggs.

Ten minutes later, he had toast, eggs, and some grapes on a plate with a glass of milk. Mandible came in, and had to scoff. "What?" Vigor questioned.

"You eat like a bird," Mandible quipped.

Vigor sneered. "I told you, I'm still trying to get used to eating regularly. It'll be a miracle if I can keep this much down."

"You need more meat in your diet,"

"You need less meat in your diet,"

The two exchanged glares. Mandible walked over to the fridge after a moment, grabbing a package of bacon; he threw it on the pan, sizzling it; a few minutes later, he put two slices on Vigor's plate. "This shouldn't be too much. If you don't eat enough red-meat, you'll suffer an iron deficiency." He told him, eating the rest of the bacon.

Vigor held up the bacon. "It's not cooked enough,"

"It's not too raw, and it's not burned- just eat it. You can cook it however you want next time,"

Vigor sighed, eating his breakfast, the bacon included.

…

It wasn't really that bad.


	30. In Which Vigor Gets A Pet

Vigor got to his chores after breakfast. The weather warmed up slightly enough for some of the snow to melt, so Mandible had him go outside to collect sticks while he chopped down more firewood. "This winter is going to be pretty intense, my nose tells me." Mandible had stated as they walked out.

"Your nose can predict the weather?" Vigor questioned.

"It's called 'instinct'. Werewolves have higher senses than common animals- for instance, just from the scent in the air, I can tell we'll have clear weather for the next three days, followed by a light snowfall this weekend."

"You can tell all that just from sniffing the air?"

Mandible shrugged. "My nose is a nose that knows,"

Vigor rolled his eyes. "I'll believe it when I see it."

The werewolf scoffed. "Just go pick up sticks," He then grabbed the axe; having found some sandpaper, he began to smooth out the handle. "And don't go too deep- the predators around here get vicious this time of season with scarce game."

Vigor nodded, walking into the forest.

Mandible sanded down the handle until it was smoothed out, then got to work lopping up firewood; the sound of his chops echoed through the air.

The slave looked around as he walked; it was so calm and peaceful out in the woods, especially on a cold winter day. He paused, taking in a deep breath, relaxing. After the stress of the last few days, it was nice to have just a quiet moment.

It was far better than the silence of the night.

He sighed, leaning against a tree, thinking about the last night. The werewolf stuck by him the whole night, and this morning…

He actually felt comfortable for the first time in… well, who knows how long? Back with Biff, despite he had a real bed to sleep in, the nightmares still struck. Hell, most of those nights he could barely stay asleep, thinking it was all a dream or hallucination.

Ironic that he didn't think such living in an isolated cabin with a werewolf.

 _It actually feels nice living out here…_ Vigor thought, imagining what the forest would look like in the springtime. Being stuck inside a cellar for years, he longed to be outside. That was the one time he felt most at-ease at Biff's- whenever he was in the backyard, staring at the sky in a lawn-chair watching the falling leaves drift to the ground…

But within a fence, he felt… trapped. If he wanted to go anywhere, Biff had to escort him, otherwise he was to stay indoors. They went around town once or twice, but Vigor still felt claustrophobic, surrounded by all the buildings and different people walking the streets as Biff showed him around.

Out here, there was more open space, especially now that Mandible wasn't watching his every move and giving him more breathing room, unlike the first day.

He looked back over at the cabin, watching as Manidble walked over to a tarp-covered wood pile with a stack of fresh-cut logs in one arm, the axe hanging over his shoulder. The werewolf looked over at Vigor, motivating the lad to get to his task.

 _Keep in mind, if you want to stay alive, you have to stay useful._ The slave reminded himself; he lost focus on the reason the werewolf was even keeping him around, the beast's acts of kindness having distracted him.

He snapped twigs off low-hanging dead branches, if not grabbing already-fallen branches and breaking them into smaller pieces. Once he got an arm's full, he began walking back towards the cabin…

" _Gah!"_

Vigor paused at the sound of the voice.

It was small and slightly high-pitched…

A child?!

"Huh? Who's there?!" He called, going in the direction where he heard the voice, turning around some bushes…

Seeing nothing.

He shook his head. _I must be hearing things…_ He thought, turning to walk back to the cabin.

The snow beneath him gave way, however, as he found himself caught in a drift! "W-Whoa!" he gasped, sliding into a snow-bank and through some dead bushes, the twigs in his arms scattering everywhere. He stood up, walking out and gathering the sticks back up…

Pausing when he saw a small pup staring at him. It had brown fur, a white muzzle, paws and tail-tip, and hazel eyes. The pup sniffed him and began to pant, and Vigor noticed a gap in its top row of teeth. "Well hey there, little guy." Vigor said, reaching out and patting it on the head.

The pup ran around in circles, then let out a little howl. It was a wolf-pup, Vigor could tell.

…

Which meant there was a pack nearby, which the lad didn't figure out until after he heard growling. Looking over, he saw four large wolves stepping out of the brush. The biggest one was all gray, with a bleeding scar over its eye as if something had recently attacked it.

The pup snarled slightly, standing between Vigor and the four wolves. He noticed the pup's back leg was slightly lifted, showing a bite mark on it.

The wolves continued their approach, and Vigor acted fast, grabbing one of the larger sticks he gathered to defend himself. "Go on, get back!" He snapped at the wolves.

Bad idea. Acting like a threat only upset them more, and they lunged-

With a growl the young pup leaped forth and knocked the first one out of the way, before turning back and ramming into the second's side. The third one caught it by the tail, but the pup managed to bite its front leg, making it howl in pain, then he tackled it.

The gray one managed to pin Vigor down, though he held up the stick against its throat to keep it from lashing at his face. The pup turned and jumped on its back, clawing at its bad eye and aggravating the wolf. It snarled and rolled, knocking the pup off before pinning it down with its paw.

Vigor smacked it hard in the face with the stick, though the other three ran and attacked him.

There was a snarl as Mandible leaped down, roaring loud enough to startle the wolves into backing away. "Geez, Vigor- can't you pick up sticks without getting into trouble?!" he remarked.

"Hey, they started it!" Vigor sneered, as the pup ducked behind his legs.

There was a howl, as more wolves came through the brush. There was a large white one, whom Vigor could pin as the Alpha Male. It snorted at the gray one, having it move to the back of the pack with its hunting partners.

The Alpha looked up at Mandible, making a short growling noise; The werewolf responded with short growls of his own. The white wolf huffed, the beast snorted. They both exchanged stares, before the Alpha barked at its pack, having them retreat back into the forest.

The Alpha looked at the pup, who whimpered. The white wolf only let out a low growl, before walking off itself.

Vigor blinked, looking up at Mandible. "…Care to explain that conversation?" he asked the werewolf.

"You were trespassing on their territory. They got pissed." Mandible replied. He grabbed Vigor and carried him back up the snow-bank until they were on stable ground. "I made a deal with the local wolves around here- if they stay on their side of their woods, I would stay on mine. They deemed it fitting, since my presence scares most of the game to their territory most of the time."

"Heh, some neighbors you got there."

"Tch. Save the wise-cracks for later and get back to work…"

Vigor rolled his eyes, beginning to re-gather twigs. After ten minutes he had another arm's full and began walking back, before a stick fell off the top of his pile. "Ah, dammit-" He turned to pick it up.

Only to see someone got it for him.

The little pup from before was carrying it in its mouth, its tail wagging. "Ha ha, thanks," Vigor bent down, taking it from the pup. As he walked, the pup followed him. "Whoa there little guy. Don't you have a pack to get back to?"

The pup whimpered, its pointy ears drooping.

"...No, huh?" Vigor continued to walk, letting the pup follow him. "Well, we're not alone on that…"

He put the twigs in a large steel bucket next to the wood pile, then went back to get more twigs.

As he worked, the pup followed; at times it helped by jumping up to low branches and breaking down twigs. Other times it would sniff around and dig sticks up out of the snow! Vigor had to laugh- this pup was pretty smart!

By the time they got plenty of sticks, Mandible had stacked a log pile that surpassed Vigor in height. Seeing that his slave did his share, he looked around- he hadn't heard anyone going inside.

Though he had heard plenty of barking and laughing.

…

Laughing?

The werewolf looked over, seeing that Vigor was packing snowballs and throwing them, laughing as the wolf-pup chased after them trying to catch them. The pup then leaped into his arms, licking his face. "Ha ha, down boy! Down!"

Mandible walked over. "Let me guess- he followed you home?" he quipped.

The pup looked up at Mandible and whimpered a bit, though relaxed when Vigor hugged it. "Actually, he did. …Those other wolves didn't seem to want him, so I figured he could stick around."

"Without consulting me?"

Vigor paled a bit. The pup growled. "I wasn't going to bring him inside the cabin. And he's not that big- he can hang around outside, can't he?" he smirked. "He could be a guard-dog,"

The pup snorted in his face, as if taking offense.

Mandible sighed, looking at the pup. He uttered soft short growls, which the pup responded to. He rubbed the back of his neck, pacing a bit while muttering to himself. "…Alright, but he has to stay outside. He can only come in during storms; and unless he knows how to hunt, you have to feed him YOUR share of food."

"Fair enough," Vigor rubbed the wolf-pup's head, setting him down.

The pup yipped, then took off into the woods.

"…Well, that was a quick ownership." Mandible scoffed, then gave Vigor a mock-pat on the head. "Don't worry, son, sooner or later every boy has to say goodbye to their pet."

Vigor crossed his arms. "If he comes back, I still get to keep him."

Mandible shrugged. "Sure- name him anything you want if he does. Until then, lets go inside."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Later that afternoon, Vigor stepped out to grab some of the twigs he had gathered…

He paused, noticing something on the ground, and had to laugh. "Hey, Mandible! Come here!" he called.

The werewolf stepped out… and had to face-palm. "Son of a bitch…" he sighed.

There sat the pup, and next to it was a fresh-killed deer.

Vigor rubbed its head, smirking. "So, I can name it anything, huh?" he said, and the werewolf gave him a look. "I'm going to call you… 'Mini-Mandible'."

The werewolf gawked. "You are NOT calling him that! …W-Where did you ever get that idea?!"

"He kind of looks like you- except adorable."

It yipped, seeming to have a smug grin.

Mandible only sneered. "Smart-ass." He deadpanned.


	31. A Hunting Trip

_~Vigor's Point of View~_

The days were still cold, with snow falling for the next couple of days, only adding a few inches to the icy white blanket that covered the land. The sun came out the next morning, and by noon the snow began to thin out in a few spots, patches of grass to be seen here and there.

During the snowy days, I cleaned around the cabin- checking on Mini-Mandible outside (I eventually stuck to calling him 'Manny' for short). Thankfully the snow never bothered him as he managed to keep warm underneath the deck; he also knew how to fend for himself, as I've seen him dragging home raccoons, badgers, and rabbits for his meals.

For a little wolf pup, he sure knew how to hunt…

When the snow began to melt, I was going to learn as well.

It was early in the afternoon when Mandible came up to me. "C'mon, I'm taking you hunting," he said gruffly. Over the past two days, his usual act of stern discipline returned, the memory of his sensitive actions having been forgotten.

It bothered me at first, but I had to keep in mind I was a slave to the werewolf- not a friend, not a pet… just someone to follow orders to keep from getting eaten. On the plus side, he allowed me to keep Manny, so long as I didn't slack in my chores playing with him.

"Hunting?" I repeated in confusion as Mandible handed me my jacket, almost causing me to drop the broom I was currently holding. "Are we running out of meat already?"

It wouldn't surprise me- Mandible ate half his weight in meat, and I had been eating a bit more in order to have more iron in my diet. But it didn't seem like this was the case. "We're not running out. It's just a quick hunt- just a deer or a couple hawks, something along those lines."

"Alright… but what do you expect me to do?" Mandible gave me a hard look. Before he could snap at me for being snarky, I quickly continued, "What I mean is… I don't know anything about hunting. You're faster and stronger than I am- what use could I be to you?"

The werewolf shook his head. "Hunting isn't all about brute strength and speed, kid. It also involves tactic and wit." He walked over to the closet, rustling through the closet until he pulled out a net. "Here, use this. I figure while I'm chasing prey, you can trap 'em."

"Okay… but… how do I do that?"

Mandible rolled his eyes. "You'll figure it out once we get out there. Now c'mon- we can have that furball of yours help out. It'll make him more useful, at least."

There was a vicious bark from outside, in response to that comment.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

We walked south of the cabin, where the trees were thicker and the snow was thinner; in the mud and grass, we could make out tracks of deer, foxes, and other woodland animals. Mandible pointed out the differences in tracks, showing me how to tell bobcat tracks from mountain lions, informing me that if I see tracks of the latter to go another direction. "Unless you're 1000 times stronger than you look, you wouldn't stand a chance against animals that strong," he remarked.

Afterwards, I was sent to my post.

Up in a tree.

From what I figured, I had to throw a net over whatever animal Mandible or Manny chased in my direction. The wolf pup followed Mandible, as if he were part of his pack.

I kept my eyes and ears sharp. Five minutes later I heard growls nearby and the sound of rushed hooves. A deer rushed forth, pursued by the werewolves. I threw the net-

Watching as it got caught on a branch, dangling in the wind as the buck raced past underneath, disappearing into the brush.

Mandible stopped beneath me. "What was that?!" he scoffed.

"I threw the net- a breeze caught it!" I explained.

The werewolf sighed. "Get out of the tree, we'll try something else."

He had me duck down in the bushes, claiming I could throw the net over animals from there.

I sat there squat for several minutes, my knees and back aching from the position after a while. Finally a fox came running by and I threw the net.

I missed, and ended up catching Manny instead. "Arf!" the pup snarled.

"Sorry," I said, releasing him and ducking back down.

This time I decided I would leap upon the animal. When another deer came running by, I leaped out-

*Bump!*

I hit its side and it knocked me over, the net falling over me.

Two large feet stepped by my head while a tiny snout sniffed me, as Mandible and Manny stared down at me- the werewolf having a deadpanned expression. "Seriously?"

"…not… one… word." I muttered, my face heated in a blush.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

We moved to a different location, close to a thawed stream; Mandible had me sit up on a boulder, telling me to keep an eye out for any hunters. "I thought no one ever came out here?" I questioned.

"You forgot- there are stupid people who think the forest is their own territory." Mandible replied. "Need I remind you of the gangsters I had to save you from?"

"But why would hunters come clear out here?"

"More wildlife, better game, no brain-cells… pick a reason."

I gave him a look. "You just think I suck at trapping animals."

"That too." He gave me a hard pat on the shoulder. "You keep an eye out, me and the runt will catch something."

"Grrr…" Manny growled.

Mandible gave him a look. "Watch your mouth! (… the things packs say around their pups these days…)"

I sat down on the rock, sneering as I watched the two wolves walk into the woods.

I'm not sure how much time had passed- two hours, maybe?- before the sun started to set over the forest canopy. Everything was so still and quiet that even my softest sigh seemed to echo.

 _This is ridiculous._ I thought to myself, looking at the net.

I looked down at the river. Maybe I could use the net to catch fish instead… though if an animal came running by, Mandible would chew me out for 'abandoning my post'.

Out of mild aggravation, I kicked the net off the rock, watching as it sprawled on the ground below.

…

And that's when a new idea came to mind.

I picked up a rope we brought along- it was supposed to be used to tie together game, but until something got killed I had a different use for it.

I was back on the rock, the rope in my hand, dangling over a tree-branch. The net was down below, hidden under leaves, twigs, and snow- once an animal got close, all I had to do was jump and pull them up in a net. Had I a shovel, I could just dig a hole underneath it and wait for the animal to run and fall in.

As I waited to execute my new plan, questions came to mind… How did I know how to set up traps so well, and why hadn't I figured it out sooner? I knew I wasn't a hunter- that much I was sure of- so where did this knowledge of trapping come from?

And… why did I ever need to learn it?

A startled yip caught my attention and I looked over, expecting to see one of the wolves chasing an animal my way…

It was the opposite this time. Manny was running as fast as his little legs could run, leaping upward onto a low tree-branch before jumping up to a higher branch, continuing upward. His side was bleeding!

A growl came next… and a mountain lion leaped out of the bushes. There was a scrape on its shoulder, but as massive as it was the creature apparently didn't give it any notice. It was sniffing along the ground, searching for something.

I looked over at Manny, putting two-and-two together. I tried to wave him over once he looked my way- if he came in my direction now and the lion gave chase, I could trap it and save the pup. But the little fluffball wasn't moving- his wound was bleeding badly, and he seemed too tense to leap down.

The lion's ears then perked up, and it began walking towards the tree Manny was in…

I picked up a rock and threw it. "Hey, over here you dumb hairball!" I shouted.

The mountain lion turned in my direction, its expression way beyond anger; I noticed it was foaming at the mouth, its mind clearly plagued by rabies. It ran at me, running over my trap-

I jumped down- too late. The net barely caught its foot, and the wild cat was upon me.

There was a snarl as, from up in the tree, Manny snapped out of his shock and landed on the lion's back, biting it on the back of its neck. The lion roared and snarled, whipping around and bucking until the pup lost his grip and landed in the bushes. It turned back towards me as I slowly began stepping away, and it followed my direction, rushing forth to block my path.

Perfect.

I let go of the rope still grasped in my hand and dropped the net on the wild cat. It roared and thrashed, getting tangled up in the net; it would break loose if I didn't do something quick.

I picked up a large rock, holding it high. I looked into the creature's eyes…

They were wide, filled with rage. Its fangs were covered in foaming saliva…

What caught my attention was its stomach. Apparently the lion was female- not only that, a mother, as along her belly were suckled tits… She had babies somewhere, probably starving…

The lioness roared again, her paw breaking through part of the net as she tried to swipe at my face. I snapped out of it; biting my lip, I slammed the rock down as hard as I could on her head.

The thrashing stopped. Blood leaked out from beneath the rock.

I fell to my knees, wincing. I killed a mother lion…

But… it was for the best. She was rabid, out of control; she had to be put down. Her disease would have spread to her cubs, if she hadn't killed them first. Worst, she could have infected the rest of the game, spreading it to every animal she bit.

Manny!

I raced over to the bushes where the pup landed. Thankfully, he was getting back on his feet, looking up at me with his tail wagging. "C-C'mere boy," I coaxed, picking him up and looking at his side.

A shadow loomed over me just then, and I looked up to see Mandible with a fresh-killed deer over his shoulder. He looked over at the lioness, then back at me.

"A lion… it was chasing Manny… it was rabid, so I killed it…" I stammered, but kept my eyes on Manny's side. "I'm making sure it didn't bite him…"

Mandible looked at Manny, giving short growls; the pup whimpered in return. "…It didn't bite him, but keep an eye on him just in case." He muttered. He looked back at the lion. "So you killed that thing, huh?"

"M-Manny helped…he jumped on its back, then I managed to get the net over it."

"Hmm." Was the werewolf's response, before grabbing the net and dragging it away. "C'mon, we need to burn it. If other animals come near it-"

"The rabies will spread… I know."

"We're both going to have to wash up afterward- that pup included. The runt looks like he needs some bandages anyway,"

"Woof," Manny responded, leaning against me in a relaxed manner.

We walked back to the cabin, Manny and I keeping at Mandible's side while, at the same time, keeping distance from the rabid corpse. We stopped at a ditch and threw it in; Mandible then grabbed two dry sticks, rubbing them together; it took a few minutes, but he managed to conjure a flame, and set the corpse on fire. It wasn't much of a blaze, due to the damp fur and lack of dry materials, but it burned around its mouth well enough.

He then stomped on the sides of the ditch, making the ledge crumble as dirt fell over the ex-lioness, before throwing down a bundle of soggy leaves, twigs, and branches to keep it covered from other animals. Manny hiked his leg, pissing on the corpse- whether to help mask its rotting scent or out of spite from their brawl, I would guess the latter.

"Not bad for a first try," Mandible said to me after a few minutes. "Figured something like this would've eaten your face off."

"It would have… but… I just need to learn more," I admitted. I looked up at him. "Can you teach me?"

"To hunt? …You do realize I don't use guns or knives, right?"

"Like you said before, it involves mostly wit. If I can find my own skills… well…"

"You can fend for yourself… and probably end up hunting _me_ in the process,"

I gave him a look. "Seriously? You tore a guy's head off, left bodies impaled on tree-branches, barely flinched when you got stabbed, and wolves respect you. Meanwhile I just got used to walking around, am still trying to gain weight, and a PUPPY had to save me from a lion. Do you honestly believe I'd even come close to being a match against you?"

Mandible scoffed. "Is that the only reason?"

I hesitated. Deep down, I knew I couldn't kill Mandible for all he had done for me already… but I also wanted to admit that I needed him to survive.

Though if I made that confession, chances are he would just use it to his advantage and deprive me of more privileges.

"Pardon me if I just want to be more useful," I muttered instead. "Unless you enjoy having to save my ass all the time,"

"I don't have to… but it's fun- gives me more reason to boss you around," The werewolf said with a smirk, nudging me with his elbow. "Now hurry up. I don't want to be fighting more predators after dark,"

I sneered, walking behind. I looked at Manny. "…at least you didn't act snarky," I told the pup.

He made a noise like a snicker, before hopping out of my arms and running ahead… and that's when I noticed the scratch on his side was gone.

Before I could point it out, Mandible stopped me. There was a look of alarm on his face as he looked ahead at the cabin. "Stay here and keep low," he whispered to me, before sneaking around.

I did as I was told, keeping low. I crawled along the brush until I could see around the other side of the house.

I saw a car out front…

And a pair of foot-prints that were leading across the snow in my direction. Someone had come this way, following our tracks from earlier-

Manny barked in alarm, but his warning came too late as I was grabbed from behind.

I turned around… and saw a familiar face.

Never did I ever consider I would be seeing this woman again.


	32. Misery Loves Company

_~Third Person Point of View~_

It had been well over a week; during that time, Biff and Kim had to wait for the snow to be cleared off the streets before they could drive out.

They would have driven out earlier in the week… but the highway leading to the woods were slick with snow and ice, as if the snowplows hadn't been on the outer roads yet.

Turns out, they never got around to it- and never would.

The city officials decided, due to the recent attacks, to keep Route 32 closed; patrolmen had set up a detour-route 300 miles ahead on every highway that led into the woods where other snowplows already cleared the freeways; as for the local town, they simply didn't plow Route 32.

Biff went to Officer Bergens about it. "It ain't my jurisdiction, Dexter- but it is a good idea," the chief had replied. "Whatever keeps idiots from going into woods fraught with danger, and whatever keeps that beast out of town."

"But won't people get suspicious? They'll think the city officials are neglecting tasks! And what about the farmers that live on the outskirts? How will they get into town if the highway isn't cleared?" Biff had questioned.

The chief only gave him a look. "If they cared so much, they would've moved in-town. Pretty sure they all got mauled by that monster by now. As for what the city thinks, they're probably more pissed that people are still getting killed and wondering why we haven't sent a SWAT Team in to kill that beast!" He ended up grinning. "…But they'll say different. I plan on being the first to shoot that thing dead when it comes back. That okay with you, 'rookie'?"

It was times like these Biff wished Mandible would just maul his supervisors…

No one on the force gave him that much respect, outside of a couple officers who knew about the rookie's personal relationship with the werewolf- they could understand the struggle of having to take down an old friend; one officer claimed she once had to bludgeon her brother over the head after he took speed and attacked in a drugged-up rage.

But the rest of the force always gave him shit, especially Bergens. Why don't they just have me fired? He often asked himself, then realized that if they got rid of their butt-monkey they'd have no one to pick on. He'd quit himself, but fuck-it-all someone had to show there was still a decent officer left on the planet- he had to find some way to convince Mandible to take things seriously!

If it weren't for Kim's determination, he would have given up by now.

After a couple days, the snow melted off the highway enough so the two could drive out there. They took a back-road that curved off the highway- a custom path they had created a couple years ago, marked by a worn-out Deer X-Ing sign with three bullet-holes in it. They took Biff's truck since it had tread-tires, helping them drive through the melting snow and mud as they made their way around trees.

Finally they made it to the cabin, parking around back.

The moment they stepped out Biff had realized Kim's hunch was correct. There were three sets of footprints- two large paw-prints (followed by a tinier set of similar prints), with a set of boot-prints walking beside them. No signs of any struggle.

"I'm going to go inside… you keep watch." Biff whispered.

Kim rolled her eyes. "It's not a stealth-mission, Biff. We're just here to see Mandible… and since Vigor is alive, we have nothing to worry about—"

"How are we sure he's still alive though? He might have been taking him to the woods to kill him…"

*Slap!*

"That is ENOUGH, Biff!" Kim snapped. She sighed. "…I know he's done horrible things… I can't deny that… But you shouldn't believe he's a full-fledged monster! Don't you think that if you stopped treating him like one, he'd stop acting like one?"

"I tried- but he kept at it, no matter what I said…"

"Isn't that when the attacks got worse? When he told us to stop seeing him and live far away from him?" She began to pace. "I know he came close in the past… but he held back because we were the only ones who didn't treat him like a monster. If we got back into the habit in visiting him, maybe that will tame him…"

Biff shook his head. "Animals can be tamed for so long until their wild instincts kick back in…"

"Even if they were already domesticated? Think about it, Biff! Mandible was a real sweetheart, there wasn't a killer bone in his body- even when we were captured by villains or threatened by other monsters! But when Sherman learned the truth of his werewolf half… when he saw the blood… when everyone began questioning him about why he killed Pugs, and if he'd kill again… he forgot who he really was. We're the only reminders of his humanity- otherwise he would have killed us."

Biff sighed. Kim's childlike faith was impossible to rely on, but she did have a point- Biff didn't want to be like the rest of the officers, like Bergens, and treat his old friend like a monster. If there was even the slightest chance Kim was right, and they could save him… then…

"Alright. You wait out here, I'm going to look inside."

Kim nodded, watching as Biff ascended the steps.

She paused just then, hearing the sound of voices in the woods; she walked around the side of the house, just in time for the voices to stop. She paused, peeking around the corner just in time to see a furry tail disappear around the other side.

 _Biff!_

She ran back around, hoping to cut off Mandible; granted she still knew, deep down, her old friend was still there… but she didn't want Biff to be alone in confronting him.

She was about to run up the steps when she heard rustling in the bushes. Something was moving through them…

She looked up the steps, then back at the trees. No sounds of alarm were occurring yet…

She went to the trees, going around so that, whatever was sneaking around, she could catch it off-guard in case it was a threat.

It was a person- a small teenage boy, crouched low…

There was barking- a little wolf was right by him! In alarm she slipped, falling and grabbing the boy's shoulder, causing him to turn around.

It was the boy who had tried to save her.

"V… Vigor?" She asked, just to make sure.

"You… W-What are you doing here?" Vigor gasped, guiding her away from the cabin. "You shouldn't be sneaking around here! It's… It's too dangerous!"

"Vigor, wait!" Kim grabbed his hands. "Listen to me. …Are you living with a werewolf?"

"H-Huh?!"

"It's okay… I know him. Mandible Visage."

"You… know Mandible?"

The wolf pup sniffed her… then began running in circles, letting out ecstatic yips.

Kim walked out of the trees, Vigor following her. "What happened after you two saved me? How did you two even meet? Biff said you were staying with him…"

"You know Biff too…?" Vigor seemed to pale.

"Yeah… we're all friends. He's inside now-"

"What?!" Vigor raced ahead, frantic.

"Vigor, wait…!" Kim rushed after him.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Mandible stepped into the kitchen, seeing Biff sitting at the table as if expecting him. "You know, people normally have to be invited inside before making themselves comfortable." The werewolf quipped.

"Cut the bull. Where's Vigor?" Biff said sternly, cutting to the chase.

"Vigor?" Mandible pretended to think. "Vigor… Vigor… that's a type of cooking oil, right?"

"Don't be stupid. That kid was kidnapped on the last full-moon night you were in town… and Kim tells me you two saved her from thugs. Where is he, and why are you keeping him?"

The werewolf sat down. "First tell me how you know him, and why you're so uptight about his well-being- because I highly doubt you have a teenage son already."

"He was a human-trafficking victim, the only one who wasn't scared to say anything… Cain kidnapped him. The bastard is still in a coma after what you did to him. Vigor is the only one who can tell us anything,"

Mandible huffed. "The kid's mind is gone, Biff. He has no memories of where he's from, how he got kidnapped… all he's got in his brain is trauma. If you stayed with him, you'd learn that quick."

"I did live with him- he stayed with me for a month before he got kidnapped again…"

Mandible's ears perked up. "He stayed with you…?"

There were rushed footsteps as Vigor burst into the room. "Mandible-" he sputtered, freezing in his steps when he saw Biff.

"Vigor!" Biff exclaimed, a bit relieved.

Mandible gave Vigor a hard look, standing up and storming over. "Didn't know anyone else, huh? You didn't have friends or family, huh?!" he questioned angrily. "Wasn't that what you told me?!"

"I… I…" Vigor stammered.

Biff reached for his gun. "Mandible, stand down!"

"You stay out of this, pretty-boy!" Mandible snarled.

"Mandible… let me explain…!" Vigor gulped.

"Explain what? How you lied 'cuz you think I'm a bloodthirsty monster?!"

"T-That was before…!"

"Mandible, I'm warning you!" Biff yelled, pulling out his revolver and aiming-

" _EVERYONE STOP!"_

Vigor jumped, Mandible flinched, and Biff gave a jolt. In the doorway stood Kim, arms crossed and looking pissed. "Kim…?" The werewolf gasped. The rookie quickly holstered his gun, while the boy backed away a bit.

"To the living room. NOW."Kim sternly pointed.

"But he's going to/The bastard thought/What are you-" Biff, Mandible and Vigor all spoke at once.

"I SAID NOW!"

Everyone obeyed, walking to the living room. Mandible sat in his chair while Biff and Vigor sat on the couch. Kim stood in the center of the room, hands on hips as she stared down all the males around her. Manny snuck in, lying down at Vigor's feet, the pup apparently wanting to see the show.

She turned to Mandible first. "Alright. Tell me how you met Vigor."

"How come he gets to speak first?!" Biff demanded.

Kim shot him a death-glare, and the rookie silenced himself. She turned back to Mandible. "And I want the truth."

The werewolf groaned, muttering curses under his breath before answering. "I was in the city during the full moon, just like I do every month; some bastard was using him-" he pointed at Vigor. "—to bait a trap for me. As Biff probably told you, I landed one of them in the hospital and left the other headless. As for the runt, he passed out from blood-loss or something. Before I could do anything to him, the cops were on their way- so I grabbed him and ran."

"So you did consider killing me…" Vigor mumbled. Mandible gave a low growl, but Kim cleared her throat.

"What happened afterward?" the college student pressed, keeping the subject on-track.

"I bandaged his wounds to keep myself from mauling him. As scrawny as he was at the time, eating him would be no different than gnawing on chicken bones." Mandible continued. "Then the little dumbass decided to sneak around- he went into the cellar, freaked out, then tried to make a break for it before running into me. Twerp pissed himself on-sight… the stain's still on the floor if you want proof,"

"D-Don't tell them that, asshole!" Vigor snapped, blushing.

The werewolf continued. "He ended up begging for his life, wanting to live long enough to regain his memories, so I struck a bargain with him- he becomes my slave, I don't kill him."

"Until he was thick enough to eat, right?" Biff questioned.

"Biff!" Kim snapped. She turned to Vigor. "So you've been working for Mandible… How did you end up at that thug camp?"

Vigor looked at Mandible, nervous. "Don't look at him- look at her." Biff told him; he was familiar with victims feeling threatened to hide the truth. He gave Mandible a hard look next, before back at the boy. "What did he do?"

"He… told me not to go up in that room," Vigor pointed upstairs. "I didn't know why- he already had a basement full of dead animals, so I was curious on what he was hiding. I went in… and he caught me and just lost it; I freaked out and ran through the woods…" he gave the werewolf a look. "The hairball decided to give me a head-start,"

"I figured you would've collapsed after the first ten yards," Mandible said with a shrug.

Vigor looked back at Kim. "That's when I came across these two thugs… I ended up following them out of suspicion, and then I saw you…" his hands tightened around each other as he shut his eyes. "You look just like a girl I shared a cell with… that's what drove me to save you- she ended up killed…" he sighed. "...As you might recall, I couldn't save you more than I could save her." He looked back over at Mandible, this time with a look of appreciation. "Mandible was the one who saved us,"

The werewolf looked away, rubbing the back of his neck; Biff recalled that night- the three surviving thugs running over, overwhelmed with panic and trauma. He then wondered whether they made it to town, or froze to death. "So you took Kim back to her car… but why didn't you stick around?" the rookie asked, this time without any criticism in his voice. "No one else was around when I drove up,"

"I didn't know you were driving up- and even if I did, I'd still take a hike," Mandible replied. "I couldn't take a chance being spotted by someone else- the thugs were gone, Kim was back at her car, so I decided to leave her be."

"And you dragged Vigor off with you?"

"I followed him on my own," Vigor spoke up firmly, as if the young officer was treating him like a child. "He saved my life- twice… those thugs… those men… they were all going to do horrible things… I still have nightmares about being kidnapped by those bastards almost every night! Staying with Mandible… it's nothing compared to what I've been through."

"Speaking of living arrangements, why did you lie about not knowing Biff?" Mandible questioned.

Vigor sneered. "Excuse me, but considering you were threatening my life, I wasn't about to reveal any personal information! And…" he sighed. "I figured Biff was dead, so it would have been pointless to bring up names. …But how do you know him? And this woman?"

"Her name's Kim, FYI."

"Just tell me- how do you all know each other?"

"I told you, we're friends." Kim stated. "We met in High School; after graduation, we all decided to travel together."

Vigor looked at Mandible. "Like in that story you told me…? You never brought up friends,"

"I didn't want to bring up personal information," Mandible responded; the boy rolled his eyes. "But that was long ago…"

"W-What happened? If you're all friends… why are you a cop, why are you living alone, and why were you out in the woods trapped by thugs?" he looked at each friend, confused.

"Shit happened, so we had to split up." He said in a 'leave it at that' tone.

"Details would be nice," Vigor pressed. The werewolf snarled slightly but was ignored.

"That trafficker, Cain…" Biff groused. "He… well, he's the root cause. He tried to capture Mandible years ago, and in the process…" he sighed, rubbing his face; even today, he couldn't bring it up.

"Go on. Say it." Mandible scowled, standing up. "We tried to stop him- but he ended up getting away, and I killed my friend!" he turned to Vigor. "That's why I never brought up my friends- after the shit I've pulled, I tried to break all contact with everyone before I could kill someone else important! The real question you should be asking is why the fuck they'd be crazy enough to let me live!"

*SLAP!*

Vigor flinched, as he never expected Kim to smack the werewolf- especially hard enough to make his head turn clear to the side. "Stop talking like that!" she snapped, and tears were forming in her eyes. "What happened back then… you didn't mean any of it. You're not the one to blame for what happened that day. Even if you were… we all share the blame. Things went wrong, and there wasn't anything we could do in the end."

Her shoulders began to shake. Biff stood up, wrapping his arms around her. He looked up at Mandible, opening his mouth to speak, but couldn't find words.

Mandible shook his head, at a loss for words as well. Mini-Mandible walked over to him, looking up at him in concern.

Vigor looked at everyone. "…I don't care," he said.

"Huh?" Biff responded first.

The boy kept his eyes on the ground. "I don't have any memories at all outside of what Cain did to me. I don't even remember my own name…" he stood up. "I don't know much about any of you… but you all have memories of each other that helps define your relationship. I don't care what Mandible did in the past- good or bad, rescue or slaughter… you lost a friend, but at least you still remember him. What matters now is what you choose to be- it's not up to others to define your identity."

"Vigor…" Kim said, touched.

Mandible only sneered. "You'd say different if you were there that day…"

"Well I wasn't- and like I said, I don't care about your past. I don't see you as a monster. Otherwise… I wouldn't choose to stay with you."

Biff looked at him. "Y-You're staying?"

Vigor scoffed. "I never gave the notion I was going back with you. No offense, Biff, your hospitality was nice… but… I owe it to Mandible. Not only that, but I'm not going to be ready to face society again. Until I remember anything about who I really am… I'm staying here,"

Mandible looked at him, turning away with a cringe. "Geez, stop sounding sappy…" he murmured.

"Are you sure?" Kim asked Vigor. The boy nodded. "I see. …Well, I suppose I'll have to visit more often!"

"What?!"

Kim gave a shrug, grinning. "Well, someone has to keep Vigor up-to-date on the times… I can get you your own clothes, too- the ones you're wearing are too big on you. Ooh! I also have a styling kit at home, so I can fix your hair! And if you're going to be doing chores for Mandible, I can pick you up some cleaning supplies- actually I'll just give you my own. Once I go back on-campus I won't be doing any housework anyway…"

"N-Now wait a minute…!"

"Yeah… and I can do grocery runs for you, too!" Biff added, rubbing his chin. "It'll save Mandible from having to rob stores- especially since the cops are under order to shoot you on sight now."

"You guys really don't have to…" Vigor tried to cut in.

"And body wash, shampoo, something to wash your clothes with- oh if only this place had electricity…" Kim was saying to herself, as she looked around the living room. "Maybe I'll buy you some new curtains too- this place is in need of redecorating,"

Mandible groaned, face-palming. He looked at Vigor. "Great. Look what you've done,"

"Oh sure, blame the slave!" Vigor scoffed, crossing his arms.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Biff and Kim left almost an hour later; after making sure Vigor was alright with staying with Mandible (and making sure the werewolf's temper was low enough to keep the boy from being in serious danger), the two bid them farewell and drove off into town, promising to come by the next chance they got- with the way the police were handling things, they would have to do it in secret until the heat died down, Biff claimed.

Once they were gone, silence lingered in the cabin. Manny returned to the outside, wandering off into the woods, leaving Vigor completely alone with Mandible.

The werewolf began to walk away. "Mandible…" Vigor said quietly. "I'm sorry…"

"Tch. For what? The shit I've been through? You said you didn't care about my past-" the werewolf sneered.

"No… I'm sorry for lying," Vigor sat down on the deck's wooden steps, looking out towards the woods; he could barely make out Manny's form chasing a rabbit. "I didn't trust you because I was scared… I was weak, stupid, pathetic- pretty much everything you've pointed out already." He looked up at his master. "But that was before I saw a different side of you… the real you,"

"The REAL me? …you're really full of bullshit tonight, aren't you?"

"I mean it." Vigor stood up, standing beside him as they looked over the railing. The sky was covered in stars, but no moon. "I don't know how to explain it, but when you were telling me stories, checking my health, and just helping me out… you seemed so relaxed, like you were finally loosening up." He looked down at the snow below. Manny was back now, sniffing around for the scent of other wildlife to chase. "You weren't exactly honest with me at the start either… You have friends, you have good memories… I want to see more of that side of you."

Mandible scowled. "That side of me is gone…"

"Now you're talking bullshit. Kim's right- you need to stop looking at yourself like a monster. A monster wouldn't have saved someone, or treated his 'slave' so well…"

"But he DID kill his best friend!" The beast's tone was harsh, his paws gripping the railing so tight it was starting to splinter. "You shouldn't judge someone before you get to know them!"

A hand rested on his paw. He looked down at the boy. "…Then… let me get to know you. All of you." He gripped the werewolf's paw tighter. "You just… have to let it show. No more lies, no more outbursts- maybe a bit of arguing and insults, but I can deal with that."

Mandible bit his lip. "S-Stupid kid… don't know what you're saying… Why are you so hell-bent on being nice to me?! Days ago you were begging for me not to kill you! And don't give me any of that 'I owe it to ya' crap!"

"Isn't it obvious? I like it when you're nice. And… I want to see you happy."

The werewolf gasped quietly, his eyes wide as his ears perked up. He shook his head. "You're just saying that to get out of work!"

"No. I mean it." Vigor rubbed his paw. "…we've both been through horrible things, albeit different situations… and it still hurts. The pain may never go away, but that's why I chose to stay with you; being out here with you… it helps. I don't feel scared with you around,"

Mandible stared at him. "Seriously…? I think you're pushing it,"

"Then I'll just have to prove it." Vigor draped his arm around him, reaching his hand up and patting the werewolf on the back. "After all, what kind of slave would I be if my master wasn't happy?"

The werewolf rolled his eyes, then caught his slave in a headlock. "If you mean all that… then I'll have to intensify your work! Starting with making you work out,"

"Work out?"

"You heard me- push-ups, sit-ups, jogging, the works! I can't have a wimp as a slave,"

Vigor sighed. "Fine… I've been meaning to gain some muscle anyway."

"Good. …Now c'mon, we're taking a bath." Mandible picked him up, carrying him over his shoulder back inside.

"WHAT?!"

"We still have to wash up because of that rabid mountain lion, remember?"

"Can't we take turns taking a shower?!"

"Yeah, like I want to spend the night arguing with you about using up the hot water. Stop being a pansy, it was fine the first time- when you weren't bitchin' about it."

"This is way out of my comfort zone!"

"Your comfort zone is a frickin' closet, wimp."

"Mandible!"

Manny listened from beneath the deck. Shaking his head, the little pup curled back up, resuming his sleep.


	33. Manny's Secret Identity

Biff and Kim returned to the cabin 2 days later; the young rookie kept to his job otherwise, often swinging by the hospital to see if their culprit had awakened from his coma. "Why not off the fucker now?" Mandible asked when he and Biff stood outside, the werewolf chopping logs in half.

"Questioning- if he has other sources and connections, we have to get the answers out of him. …At least that's the force's reason," Biff replied, though murmured the last part quietly.

"And your reason?"

Biff looked up at one of the windows; inside Kim was showing Vigor some outfits she had purchased for him. He still remembered the first time he saw the kid- nothing but a shirt on, tag around his neck, bleeding from his arms, passed out on the ground… "I want him awake so he can feel the pain of his death,"

Mandible had to smirk; sometimes Biff was more fun when he actually showed his vicious side, especially since the former leader was known for being the all-around nice-guy in their teen years. "Let me know when he wakes up- I want to kill him myself,"

Biff sighed. "We'll see. …Keep in mind, you're not allowed in town. The chief is looking forward to shooting you,"

"He does realize you're the only one with the bullets to do so, right?"

Biff paused.

Years ago, when Mandible's attacks grew sporadic, the werewolf informed his friend of a secret in killing werewolves. The bullets had to be pointed and slim enough so that, when shot, the increased speed and velocity would be high enough to penetrate the werewolf's thick skull; and they had to be made of a strong enough metal- gold would work best, but if he were on a budget he could go with the myth-route and use silver.

Shooting werewolves in the skull was the primary option; in the heart was also the best choice. Anywhere else would be pointless, as fast as healers lycanthropes were known to be. Cutting off their heads or tearing out their hearts was also a bad decision- as tough as a werewolf's muscles were, it was tough to penetrate through their skin deep enough to puncture any organs.

It was knowledge the werewolf learned from experience; hunters and other officers shot at him multiple times, until he realized no common bullets could harm him. If anything they only got under his skin deep enough so that he could reach in and pull them out, if not flex and make them pop out. (Unless they shot him down under- no one has ever tried, but either way he knew for a fact it would hurt like hell).

He informed Biff of this long ago after making these deductions, and he knew for a fact the former leader had special bullets made… just in case.

"No. He doesn't," Biff admitted; he never told anyone on the force of this secret. "But that doesn't mean you should go running into town. You never know what they'll do- they might have made their own bullets, or poisoned them at least."

Again the werewolf scoffed. "The only poisonous thing that can hurt me is your cooking… or need we forget the Meatloaf Incident of 2004, during freshman year?"

Biff sneered. "I'm serious! …and I've gotten better at cooking, thank you very much… Just stay out of town. Kim and I will help you out with provisions,"

"Suit yourself," He continued to chop wood.

Biff looked back up at the window. "How long do you plan on keeping him?"

"Till one of us dies. It's our deal- he works for me, I don't eat him."

Manny walked over just then, having a stick in his mouth. Biff picked it up and threw it, watching the pup chase after it. "…So you're keeping him as a slave."

"He doesn't complain about it- much. Kid's really got a mouth on him at times,"

"I don't think he's a kid, either."

"Sure looks like one,"

"But he's been malnourished for months- maybe years. The lack of nutrition would cause his growth-rate to slow."

"So he's a runt…Anyone 5-foot and under is going to be called 'kid',"

Biff crossed his arms. "You never said that about-" he stopped himself. "…midgets."

Mandible gripped the axe. He knew who Biff was really talking about. He sighed. "Yeah, well, 'midgets' didn't look that much like kids, or mouthed off as such- maybe ran their mouths, but not like a brat."

Manny brought the stick back; Biff threw it again. "What if he wants to come back to town?"

"You heard him- he doesn't want to return. He's been locked away for so long that society scares him,"

"…And if he overcomes his fear?" he looked at Mandible. "We may need him to testify in court when Cain wakes up,"

Mandible scoffed. "That bastard doesn't deserve a trial, and we have a deal! He doesn't go unless I say he can go!"

Manny brought back the stick, but Biff ignored him; the pup wandered off. "You can't do that!" he snapped at Mandible. "Otherwise, you're no better than-!"

Mandible snarled, glaring at him. "Say it and I'll kill you!" he snapped back, his axe raised.

Silence fell as the two glared at each other.

After a moment, the werewolf lowered his axe, shaking his head. "I didn't force him into it- he was the first to strike the bargain. And he CHOSE to stay after we rescued Kim."

Biff sighed. He had to remember Vigor had an iron will, out of the rest of the victims. "Fine. But I'm keeping an eye on you two; I've seen enough domestic abuse cases to know when someone is being threatened to stay- especially with the type of 'deal' you struck,"

Mandible sneered, though couldn't find a response. He shook his head. "Just don't get into my personal affairs. The kid works for me, I'm keeping him alive one way or another, end of story." He put the axe down, walking off with fresh cut logs.

Biff followed, opening his mouth to reply until something caught his attention. He knelt down near the tracks in the snow. "Hey… Mandble? Who else is staying with you?"

"What're you talking about?" Mandible threw the logs on the pile, walking over to Biff.

The rookie studied the tiny paw prints in the snow, counting five toes.

Mandible looked, then noticed a different set of prints leading inside. "…Oh."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Well? What do you think?" Kim asked as she stood in the bedroom with Vigor.

The young man looked at his new outfit. It was a black T-shirt with a the _Deadpool_ logo on it; Kim bought several T-shirts with different logos on them, in hopes that something may help jog the boy's memory. He also had jeans that fit him, a new coat, and 3 different pairs of shoes- sandals, sneakers, and boots.

He looked at himself. True, wearing real clothes felt nice… but staring at his image in the mirror didn't help his memory. Actually, he felt odd. "It may take some time to get used to…" he stated, but gave a gracious smile. "Thanks. You really didn't have to do this,"

"Trust me, when I see someone in rags, I can't help but buy them something," Kim grinned. "You should see it when I'm shopping for homeless people!"

Vigor looked at her. "How did you know my size, anyway?"

She shrugged. "I guessed. I figured 'Small' was the lowest I could go." She sat down on the mattress. "So… What's it like living with Mandible? Has he been… treating you well?"

The lad scoffed. "Not exactly a good host, but it's better than getting drugged and beaten every other day." He knelt down, looking through the rest of the items Kim brought him- there were not only cleaning items, but also battery-powered lamps, newspapers, and books. "When he first brought me here, he tried to keep me bedridden to hide his identity.

"Well, I ended up curious and looked around. When I saw what kind of 'host' I had, I panicked and tried to escape… and of course he caught me." He shook his head. "He claimed he was going to kill me so I couldn't tell anyone… but thinking back now, I think he was just messing with me. I gave him a bargain, he made me a slave… and I thought life would be nothing but hell."

"But…?" Kim pressed, a bit eager.

"But… then he saved us. He could have just let me die, or forced me to come back with him… but he actually gave me a choice- I mean, he probably would have hunted me down, but he let me decide rather than force me to follow him home. It got better after that… that is, after I got sick. Mandible wanted to make sure I got my full strength back- mainly so I would do chores better.

"I guess the improvement came when my nightmares started getting worse. I started skipping sleep entirely to avoid them; when I slipped off the roof-"

"The roof?!" Kim gasped. She cleared her throat, remaining calm. "Go on."

"I had a flashback about being drugged and losing my memories, and I went into shock for a minute until Mandible snapped me out of it. …He managed to help me calm down, and… things just got easier. I still do chores, we still swap insults… but there's no abuse, torture, dominance-control… It ain't exactly the 'freedom' I wanted, but as long as I can figure out who I really am…"

*Clunk!*

The two paused, hearing a sound from downstairs. They stepped out and looked over the banister, just in time to see Biff and Mandible run in. "I heard something in here," the werewolf stated, and began sniffing around.

"Is there anyone up there with you?" Biff called to Kim and Vigor.

"No… W-Why? What did you find?" Kim asked as they came down the stairs.

Mandible paused in his sniffing, turning to the closet. "He's in there!" he stated.

"Who is?" Vigor asked, stepping up beside him.

"Open the door and see for yourself,"

Vigor arched an eyebrow, but did as he was told…

Finding a large coat draped over a small form; out popped a scruffy, dark-haired, pale little head with bright brown eyes. The little boy smiled… showing he was missing one of his front teeth.

"Looks like your 'puppy' learned a new trick," Mandible stated.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The child was given a T-shirt to wear; Vigor gave him a sandwich and a glass of milk. "So what's your name?" he asked.

"Nn..." The boy tried to state.

"Do you know how to talk?"

The boy shook his head.

Vigor sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

…

In the living room, Biff and Kim spoke with Mandible. "…That puppy… It's Fangpuss, isn't it?" Kim asked. She shook her head. "Why didn't we notice before?"

"I thought his family…" Biff began to state.

"He ran away looking for me. When he couldn't find me, he was adopted into a wolf pack… up until he got into a fight with one of the alphas, and now the pack shuns him." Mandible stated; the two looked at him. "He gave me the story after he ran into Vigor. …I told him he could stick around, on the condition he wouldn't distract Vigor from his work."

"You weren't going to take him in?" Kim questioned.

"I almost killed him years ago, Kim! He doesn't want to live with me- that's why he stays outside!" Mandible sighed. "…He likes Vigor, though. I don't know why. Kid just says he's his 'buddy', and that's it."

Biff walked into the kitchen, sitting down next to the boy. "Hey, buddy… got anything you want to say to us?" he asked.

"He can't speak," Vigor stated, while the child continued to eat his sandwich. "I already tried. …I've seen kids like him before- kidnapped as babies and raised without learning speech. What I can't figure out is, if he was raised by wolves, how can he understand us so well?"

Biff sighed. "…Because… He's Mandible's cousin."

Vigor blinked. "Seriously? I figured they just had an uncanny resemblance,"

Biff nodded. "He used to travel with us for a while, before we split up. Last I heard his family wanted to…" he paused, as the child slowed down his chewing to look at him. "Well, I just never expected to see him again."

"What's his name?"

"We used to call him Baby Fangs as a nickname, a-and his werewolf-half is called Fangpuss. …Though, I guess he prefers to answer to 'Manny' now,"

Vigor looked at the child. "Do you want to be called 'Manny'?"

The child nodded.

"…Alright, we'll keep calling you 'Manny',"

…

Kim watched from the doorway, then turned to Mandible. "It's so sad… he doesn't know how to talk, he's living in the woods to fend for himself… You don't really want him out there, do you?" she asked the werewolf. "I know in his wolf-form he's strong, but… he's just a child!"

"Then you take him home," Mandible stated. "Because he doesn't want to stay with me."

"But… what if he changes in town? If those cops see a tiny werewolf running around-"

"Keep him on a leash and pass him off as a dog. He fooled you guys, didn't he? Hell, as dumb as those cops are, they'd think he was a hamster!"

Kim sighed, but walked into the kitchen. "Manny… Would you like to come stay with Biff and I? I can buy you new clothes- and we can work on teaching you how to talk, read, and everything."

Manny shook his head, walking over and climbing on Vigor's lap. "Um…" the young man responded.

"Don't worry, Kim and I are going to come out and visit often." Biff assured him.

"Please, Manny? We really missed you!" Kim added, coaxing him.

Manny clung to Vigor. "Go ahead, Manny. I'll be fine with Mandible around," he said.

The child then looked at the werewolf. "…I'll take care of him. I promise." He assured.

"Mm…" Manny responded; after thinking a moment, he nodded.

"Wonderful! Don't worry, Manny. We'll come back out and visit again real soon," Kim promised, then took him by the hand. "Before we leave, you can look at all the clothes I got Vigor- tell me which ones you like best and we can find some in your size…"

Biff walked with her, leaving Mandible and Vigor alone in the room.

"So… your cousin, huh?" Vigor asked Mandible.

"Yeah." Mandible responded.

"He's pretty cute," he cracked a grin. "I guess that's the only thing that makes you two different,"

"Very funny," the werewolf stepped out on the deck, his statement barely a scoff.

Vigor arched an eyebrow; pulling on a coat, he followed him out, finding him leaning against the west side of the house, looking out at the woods. "Mandible…?"

"The reason he's leaving is so he can get away from me… the reason he stuck around was because he likes ya," he sighed. "…there was a time I was a hero to him, y'know. I have to keep telling myself those days are over… and nothing I do can change what I did."

Vigor stood beside him. "You're never going to get over it, are you?" the werewolf grimaced, and the lad sighed. "…then again, who would? I don't know my past- chances are, there are probably things I don't want to remember. Maybe it's a good thing you do feel bad, though."

"Yeah, why? So I don't do it again? …fat lotta help that'll do me…"

"At least you don't enjoy it. How many times will I have to tell you you're not a monster until you believe me?"

"How long do I have to tell you you're safe until you're ready to face society?"

The two looked at each other in silence, before both looking back at the woods.

"…I won't leave. I'll tell you that now." Vigor said quietly.

"…And I won't kill you. That much I can promise." Mandible replied.

…

Biff and Kim left with Manny a short while later. Once they were gone, Mandible did some heavy labor chores, Vigor cooked supper, and they went to sleep, as if no one had visited at all.


	34. Am I Worth It?

_~Vigor's Point of View~_

 _There I stood, once again, stuck in an unknown building, surrounded by darkness with a wall of flames before me._

 _I stared at the flames, stunned and confused. Normally I was surrounded by fire, but now I was standing before it…_

 _I tried to make out my surroundings, but the building was empty- only crumbling rafters and burning walls to be seen._

 _There was no exit this time._

 _I was so mesmerized by the flames that I didn't realize someone was with me._

 _A hand was reaching for me when I turned; I dodged quick, gasping when I saw it was Andre. 'Come here, my little toy- we have unfinished business!'_

 _I ran as fast as I could, tears flooding in my eyes. Why was I here? Why was this happening to me?_

 _Why did I have to relive these memories every night?_

 _I was caught by my shirt-collar, yanked back; there were more men around me, some holding me down, others groping me, syringes being inserted into my neck as I felt my mind grow blank._

' _Stay strong… stay strong…' was all that went through my mind._

 _Fire grew around me; my assailants laughed as I was pulled further down; soon everything faded away…_

That's when I woke up.

I sat up quick, my breath hitched; once again I looked around, realizing that I was still in the cabin- no fire, no traffickers, no needles… just a mattress, a closet full of [new] clothes, and moonlight filtering through the window.

I took a couple steady breaths, letting out a sigh.

It had been a week since Biff and Kim started visiting, bringing Manny along every time as promised. Kim continued to bring things to spruce up the place, while Biff would give us updates on Cain's condition (bastard was still out cold); Manny would either help me out with chores or play in the snow, depending on how busy I was.

Mandible often kept to himself; not that he was a recluse, he just wasn't used to so much company, only talking to Kim or Biff for a few minutes before heading outside.

I could understand...

Despite their kindness, I still felt tense around other people. Kim started talking about giving me a haircut (my hair was reaching my shoulders) and bringing me clothes to try on- she visited a thrift store before her last visit. I then brought up the point that, since we don't have a washing machine, it would be a pain to have so many clothes to wash… so she offered to take my laundry home to wash. This woman was a saint!

As for Biff, he would ask me the same thing the first month I stayed with him- if I could remember anything… as well as how Mandible was treating me. I told him the truth- all I could remember were nightmares, and Mandible wasn't abusing me.

The werewolf actually started to ignore me- only telling me what chores I could do before wandering off on his own.

Manny loved hanging around with me. As 'Fangpuss', he followed me around- ever since the mountain lion incident, he refused to leave my side when I had to go to the woods. The only exception was when Biff and Kim had to leave- I convinced him that I never go into the woods without Mandible, and the pup would turn human and leave with them.

I found it odd- all he had to do was look at the sun, and he would transform immediately.

Biff said the two werewolves were cousins… and I wondered why Mandible never transformed.

Then I remembered: he lost his humanity long ago.

Or so he tells me.

…

I stood up, the silence of the room disturbing me.

I hated being alone in a dark room. Hell, I hated being alone in a room period- it always felt like I was stuck in a cell, despite I could walk out whenever I pleased.

Walking out was the only thing that helped remind me I was no longer a prisoner… though I was still a 'slave' to a werewolf.

I stepped out into the hallway, looking around for my 'master'; it was a clear moonlit night, a crescent in the sky. He was probably out hunting, driving off animals in order to burn off his stress.

I walked downstairs; there was a tiny flame in the fireplace, thus when I noticed how cold the room had gotten since I went to bed. Grabbing some twigs and a log, I fed the flames, watching them build up…

 _A wall of flames was before me… soon flames were around me…_

Shaking my head, I walked into the kitchen. I thought about eating something to distract myself, but couldn't find my appetite. It was always impossible for me to eat after having The Nightmare.

Sleep. Eat. The two most important things that my trauma prevented me from doing.

I stared out the window at the trees, imagining the civilization miles beyond them. A list of 'possibilities' ran through my mind- all things I was held back from because of the life of entrapment I thought I had escaped… but it had been following me since the start.

The Nightmare… I would never escape it…

I would never escape my trauma…

 _I will never know freedom._

A shadow loomed over me. I turned around, looking up at Mandible.

The cellar door was open. I hadn't noticed, lost in my own thoughts.

It felt surreal. With the werewolf having been distant for the last few days, I almost didn't expect to see him so late at night.

We said nothing at first, only looking at each other. He looked calm but irritated at the same time, no doubt wondering what had me up at this hour; though, deep down, I knew he figured out the reason.

"Nightmares again?" Mandible questioned after a few minutes of silence.

"Yeah," I responded, looking down at the ground.

He rubbed the back of his neck; I shifted a bit.

I felt awkward… After all, it was my fault his solitary life was suddenly filled with visitors he didn't want- or did want, but didn't want to risk having around. Yet in my defense, he was the one who brought me here.

"Well, c'mon. Back to bed," Mandible stated, sounding as awkward as I felt.

"I can't sleep," I replied.

He gave me a look. "Do you want to do chores until you can?"

I sighed. "…never mind." I walked into the living room.

"Hey,"

I paused at the stairs.

"What are those nightmares about?"

I looked over at him. "What?"

"They keep you up at night, they make you cry… I can make a few guesses, but the way they've impacted ya…" Mandible shook his head. "N-Never mind. Just go upstairs,"

He sat down in the chair by the fireplace.

I turned to go upstairs… though one look up at the dark hallway above was enough to convince me that my attempt at sleep would be wasted in a lonesome room.

Instead I walked over to Mandible- as if he even expected me to listen. "Mandible…"

"What?"

I rubbed my arm. "…am I worth it?"

He turned to me, arching an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'worth it'?"

"I mean… am I worth the trouble? Biff and Kim keep coming over, Manny hangs around, you saved my life more than twice… but…"

He scowled. "Kid, I swear to God, if you're trying to back out of our deal-"

"I'm not!" I snapped. "I just want to know if I'm worth anything to you guys!" I began pacing around. "I have no memory or information I can give to Biff, so why does he care so much about me? Why does Kim keep bringing me new clothes if she doesn't even know me? And why are you putting up with so much if it irritates you?! And those bastards… out of all the people they captured why- just… fucking… why did they zero in on me?! Why couldn't they just leave me alone?! What about me is so fucking special?!"

Mandible blinked. "Vigor… you're crying."

I felt my face, finding the werewolf was right. I sat down on my knees, breathing in deep. "I just want to know… am I worth anything? Is the person I forgot about worth something? Just… what about me keeps me here?"

Silence hung in the air once more, the crackling of the fireplace the only sound to break it.

My mind was a mess. This trauma enveloped me to a point where I had to question myself: was it really worth trying to remember who I really am?

…

Mandible rested a paw on my shoulder. "Enough with the self pity." He muttered. "You've already proven your worth to me- you work hard, you keep your promises, and… you show some backbone. So what if Biff and Kim drop by? They're my old friends- they would've come seen me sooner or later. As for Manny… well, he's old enough to choose his friends."

"But you always wander off… you don't like having visitors…" I replied.

He scoffed. "You try socializing after being isolated for over 5 years…" he caught himself. "I mean, if you remembered- uh, that is…"

I winced. "No… I get it… it's just…" I shut my eyes, though still sensed the glow of the flames nearby. "That nightmare really fucked me up… in it, I'm always seeing fire, and I keep trying to escape- but every time, something stops me. Then I wake up. …Sometimes it includes what happened after I was captured- I see good people get killed, I get stabbed with needles, I keep hearing those bastards laugh as I suffer… and there's nothing but fire. That's all I see when I sleep. Fire."

I looked at the fireplace, the flames making my nightmares more vivid…

"No more," Mandible had me face him. "Think. Was there ever a night when you didn't have nightmares?"

I shook my head. "No… but…" I recalled the vague dream I had several nights before. "Once, my dreams changed. I was in a field, talking to someone who knew me- though I couldn't see their face."

"When was that?"

I blushed. "That night when… um, you… held me."

His ears perked up, a surprised look in his eye. "Oh. …well, that makes sense. It was the only time you stopped crying in your sleep…"

An awkward silence hung in the air.

I rubbed the back of my neck, while Mandible scratched his head.

It wasn't that the night was that embarrassing- no one saw, nothing happened… it just felt strange for both of us, considering we were still getting used to each other.

"What if I told you more stories?" Mandible suggested off the top of his head. "I-I mean, it helped last time. I got at least 32,"

I nodded. "Okay. Tell me about how you all travelled… Actually, how did you all meet?"

The werewolf leaned back, as if trying to recall the memory himself. "Ooh, that's waaaay back in my memory-bank… might be in a safety deposit box, hmm…" he continued to think.

The funny part is, it looked like it was a serious struggle for him.

"Ah, yeah! Now I remember!" He scooted closer, paws held up as if getting ready to gesture for a campfire story. "It was back when I was in middle school- I moved into a new neighborhood with my parents, and I was getting used to a new school,"

I arched an eyebrow. "You went to school?"

He gave a scowl. "I wasn't ALWAYS a wild animal, thank you very much! You want to hear the story or not?"

"Sorry. What was it like?"

"Like it is for every new kid in middle school- awkward. Trust me, it isn't easy being the only 12-year-old with facial hair- no matter what the jocks say, it doesn't always impress the ladies!"

I chuckled. "You must've been quite the odd-man out… or odd-wolf, ha ha."

"Yeah, well, believe it or not I wasn't the only one. Biff was a total nerd- handsome, sure, but stuck to his school-work. Kim… well, she came from South America, so she had to deal with a few racial slurs since the class was predominantly white- and mostly filled with stuck up pricks. Personally, I think the bitches in her gym class picked on her just because her skin was naturally-tan… and she wasn't a total cunt. We became friends quick- it got to a point where we were our own gang. Sure, we made more friends as time went by, but it was mainly just us."

"And you started travelling after high school? …Where did you go first?"

Mandible thought for a moment. "It wasn't too far off. We were visiting a friend at a university. Her father was a scientist, and was targeted by a monster that had been going after several other scientists on campus. The monster, or 'The Heap' as everyone called him, was a scientist who built a machine that could transform human anatomy, turning himself into a hulking monster to get back at the people who fired him for his unauthorized experiments."

He went into detail of the story- finding a hidden lab inside some caves where the machine was hidden, chasing after The Heap before it could take the machine to the campus and transform everyone into monsters… somehow dragging an elevator out of a building and ending up on a missile…? In the end, Biffa and Kim managed to get the machine and transform the corrupt scientist back to normal, and had him hauled off to prison.

Yet… something felt strange in the story- outside of the baffling logic. Mandible kept pausing, as if considering his words. He did that the last time he told me a story too- as if he was trying to keep himself from mentioning something.

Or… someone.

They had a fourth friend, didn't they?

I shut my eyes; I didn't want to think about a sensitive subject, especially if it was hurting everyone. "What is it?" Mandible asked, noticing my solemn expression; thankfully, he guessed an alibi I could use. "Nightmare still bothering you?"

I nodded. In a way, it was true. "I think it's always going to bother me," I admitted quietly. I looked up at him. "Tell me another story- maybe one with your cousin in it. Did he travel with you guys?"

"Yeah…" Mandible seemed a bit irritated, though not at his cousin it seemed. "His parents always stuck him with me. They were total stuck-ups: they wanted only the perfect things in their lives, that included perfect children. Fangpuss was their 7th child… and when they saw he was a werewolf, they immediately dumped him on me."

He shook his head. "I was stupid back then. They conned me, claiming Fangpuss would love having another werewolf to pal around with, and I could teach him the basics… well, after realizing they had no problem in letting their infant child travel with teens who encountered dangerous masterminds, I figured out they just wanted to get rid of him." He clenched his fists. "…when they learned I almost killed him, what was their reaction? Try to kill him themselves… or so he told me."

"You can understand Fangpuss, huh?"

"In a sense. Animals have different linguistics than humans- they communicate in short growls, snorts, chirps, whatever kind of sounds their species make. But the sentences are simplified- since Fangpuss was never taught human grammar, he can only speak wolf- bringing up simple terms such as 'friend', 'hurt', 'danger', 'food', 'territory', as well as warning yips that often mean 'stop', 'shut up', 'hide' or 'attack'."

"So that's why you two communicate in growls. Interesting,"

Mandible scoffed. "You're easily amused, aren't ya?"

I sneered. "Excuse me for learning new things," I lied down on my side, resting my head on my arm. "So, what was your first adventure with Fangpuss like?"

"Not as hectic as our last ones- 'course, with two werewolves saving the day, I guess it cut our time in half, ha." Mandible leaned back in the chair, thinking. "I remember we went to Hawaii. Some psychotic bitch was wearing an amulet that gave her Medusa-powers, turning people to stone with a glare of her eyes. …Nothing having her look into a mirror didn't solve, heh heh."

I listened as Mandible told me the story, once again careful with his words so not to mention the cause of his painful memory. When that story ended, I asked to hear another, this time of one of the countries they visited, and ended up hearing a story about everyone encountering aliens in Japan- the aliens were trying to create a movie about the Earth suffering several natural disasters before blowing up, though the werewolves managed to 'cancel' their production.

By the time he was telling me a fourth story, this one including a sea-monster from Atlantis and a shark, my eyes were starting to feel heavy. "One more story…" I asked, trying to stay awake, afraid to fall asleep and face The Nightmare again.

"I ain't a radio, twerp. Besides, it's almost 3 o'clock in the morning- I can't order you around if you haven't gotten enough sleep," the beast quipped.

"I'll barely sleep anyway- the moment I see fire, I'll just end up waking up…"

A crackling-pop sound came from the fireplace, making me sit up automatically. I looked into the flames once more, as if bracing myself for what I would see-

Mandible loomed over me. I looked upward, seeing him stare down at me… before reaching down and picking me up! "H-Hey! What are you doing?!" I sputtered, as he carried me over to the chair and sat down, keeping me cradled on his lap. "The hell…?!"

"If you're gonna act like a child, I'm going to treat you like one," The werewolf said matter-of-factly, one of his legs folding upward to be used as an armrest.

"This isn't really necessary-!"

"You said you didn't have nightmares that night I held ya, right? I don't want to feel like a parent, waking up in the middle of the night because the baby keeps crying,"

I blushed, elbowing him. "I'm not a baby!"

"Then shut up and try to sleep- or would you prefer a lullaby?"

"I'm traumatized enough WITHOUT your singing, thank you."

"Then go to sleep, already. I'll put you back in bed afterwards, _"_

I began to feel flustered. "Seriously, Mandible… I-I don't think this is really-"

" _If I hold you like this, and if you whisper like that- I don't know all the lyrics, but it's all coming back to me-"_

I cringed- hearing him sing was worse than his snarls! "Alright, alright! *sigh* I'll TRY to sleep,"

He smirked in victory (what an asshole). "That's what I thought,"

I shifted, trying to get as comfortable as possible. I found my eyes drifting back over to the fireplace, the flames beginning to die down. "…the fireplace needs more-"

"Sleep." Came a firm interruption.

I kept looking at the flames, feeling the heat fading as the fireplace soon had nothing but embers in the ashes; within a few minutes, the room was dark and cold. I curled up tight, my eyes drifting around the room, remembering those nights in a cold cell.

I remember when it got so cold, Sunny and I curled up together; I let her squeeze into my T-shirt with me, both of us giggling about looking like Siamese twins as we kept warm, though had to keep our voices quiet so the guards didn't hear us.

That was before she was taken away... and the nights felt colder without her…

When she came back, she was afraid to let me near her…

I winced. She had looked up to me- she was my sunshine, I was her vigor, yet I failed to save her.

She was the one who saved me- blocking me from a bullet…

 _Am I even worth dying for?_ I thought, wincing.

Movement interrupted my thoughts, as Mandible shifted his position.

After a moment, he shifted again.

And again.

Each time I kept still… though a smug grin spread on my lips. "Uncomfortable?" I guessed.

"Shut up- unlike you, I'm too large to sleep in a chair," Mandible grunted.

"It's because I'm on your lap. I'll just go back upstairs-" I began to slide off.

Mandible wrapped an arm around me. "You want to sleep in bed? Fine." He stood up, carrying me with one arm as he had done before, and walked upstairs to my room, sitting down on the mattress- oh shit.

"No. No no no no no-" I squirmed in vain as the werewolf lied down. "This is NOT okay!"

The werewolf gave me a look. "Vigor. I'm tired. You're tired. All I want to do is sleep, and make sure you sleep. No arguing. No crying. Just. Sleep."

I still felt tense. "You don't have to hold me…" I felt uneasy, just like Sunny- how she was scared to let me hold her, despite there was nothing to worry about.

It wasn't that I didn't trust Mandible. He established early on he was nothing like those bastards- I still remembered the hurt look on his face when I accused him of being a pervert. But I wanted to be held on my own terms- not because someone was making me do it.

As if he understood my point, the werewolf drew back his arm, lying on his side. "Is it because I'm a werewolf?" he muttered.

"No… it's because I have boundaries," I turned and faced him on my side. "They kept getting broken and…"

"You just want everyone to respect your personal space,"

I cringed; his tone was calm but rimmed with bitterness.

Because of me, his boundaries were being broken… sure, he took me in the first place, but in his defense he didn't know what he was getting himself into. Neither of us knew I'd lead him to old friends, unearthing a tragic past he was trying to forget…

I shut my eyes, turning on my stomach and looking away. "…sorry."

…

A paw rested on my back, rubbing it. I looked over at Mandible. "Me too," he whispered. He sighed. "It's a habit of mine- I act before I think. Didn't mean to lay any pressure on ya… just… I hate hearing you cry at night. I-I mean, it's annoying!" he patted my back. "I just want to make sure you sleep well from now on."

I began to wince. I stared at him, as if looking at a different werewolf- his apology was sincere, a softness in his eyes, and his touch was so gentle…

I shifted closer, allowing him to keep his arm over me. "Geez, is that all it takes to get you to relax?" he scoffed, though his tone was still surprised.

I smirked. "Just go to sleep," I quipped.

"Tch. Smart-ass. (…swear I should've gotten bunk-beds…)" He drew back his arm, allowing me some space as he turned on his back.

I chuckled a bit, turning back on my stomach. I liked seeing this side of the werewolf… like it was the real him.

I began to drift off, the awkward situation no longer making me anxious. As long as it kept The Nightmare away and kept bad memories from my mind, I could deal with it.

…

*grunt* *zzzzzkthle* *snort* *grr*

Mandible's _snoring_ , on the other hand…


	35. Reluctant Attachment

_Don't get attached._

That's what Mandible had told himself when he first took in Vigor.

He knew the reasons why. Once Vigor gained a little more weight, once the moon was full again, once he smelled the scent of flesh, heard the sound of a racing heartbeat, sensed the blood pumping through the veins…

His slave would become a hors d'oeuvre in a matter of days.

That's what he knew. That's why he had to be so hard on him in the beginning; he knew he would slaughter that boy for his blood in due time, because that's what he always did every month- he got the urge to kill and quench his thirst. He didn't give a fuck whether the cops had a bounty on his head, or whether or not his friends got involved; ever since that night… when he realized what he was… he knew damn well no one would be safe with him for long. He was nothing but a monster…

But Vigor didn't see that.

Even when the werewolf had thrown a thug's headless body in front of him, what did his slave imply? That the beast was protecting him and Kim, that the thugs had it coming… that he had seen real monsters- dealing with ones who chose to cause mental and physical agony for self gain, dominance and pleasure, not to satisfy any animalistic cravings.

Well, he'd say different once the moon was full, Mandible had figured when he carried the whelp back to the cabin. There was no way he could let himself grow close…

…

Plans always had a way of backfiring on him, didn't they?

He thought about this as he sat by Vigor on the couch. Every night for the last several days, he had been staying by his slave's side, watching as he fell asleep.

The two began doing activities in order to help bring forth the fatigue. Mandible recalled how Vigor wanted to get stronger, and gave him a work-out regime of doing 20 sit-ups, push-ups, and chin-ups (the werewolf would hold up an old pipe while the lad did the workout), having the exercise wear him down when a day of chores wasn't enough.

Tonight, Vigor decided to read one of the books Kim had brought over. Mandible looked at them, stacked on the coffee-table, a collection of novels, comic books, and mangas that Vigor was nearly finished with or was still reading- _Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Calvin and Hobbes, Bone, Cowboy Bebop, The Hardy Boys…_ any time he had a break, he would find something to read.

Mandible looked at the title of the book now- _Beauty and the Beast._ The werewolf had to keep in a chuckle- Kim always loved to introduce someone to her favorite romance stories.

His 'other' identity had shared her passion before- there were moments when they would all go see a romance flick, and the two of them would talk about it for hours, or talk about the newest romance novel that came out (so long as it wasn't any of that _Fifty Shades_ bullshit, they both agreed), bringing up their favorite tear-jerking moments or cutest couples until the others would beg them to stop. But those days were long gone…

There was gentle snoring. Mandible shook his head, smiling; apparently romantic tales were Vigor's narcotics!

He picked up the lad, carrying him upstairs to bed; Kim had brought over fresh sheets and comforters, firmly stating she wasn't going to allow Vigor to have a thin blanket and pillow to sleep with, not wanting him to risk catching a cold (Mandible held his tongue).

The werewolf folded the covers over him, lying down atop the comforter- with all his fur, there was no need for him to use blankets. Vigor shifted in his sleep, moving close to him, as if the furball served as a security blanket for him.

It did help keep his nightmares away…

Every morning, he would tell Mandible about his newest dream- excited as, for once, he had actual dreams that didn't involve the agony of his past. Some were weird and hard to describe, some involved parts of a story he read (if not a mashup of stories- bringing up the Hardy Boys fighting orcs, once), and some were about the stories Mandible had told him, featuring 40-foot cobras or space monsters, yet weren't bad enough to be considered nightmares.

Mandible closed his eyes, deciding it was his turn to start dreaming…

…

" _S… Sunny!"_

The werewolf opened his eyes, seeing Vigor sitting up, hyperventilating. _A bad dream…?_ He thought, confused. He thought they were over that point now…

He lay still, watching Vigor, to see if he would lay back down or look his way for comfort… he didn't expect the lad to bite his lip, covering his face, sobbing. He could sense the anguish he was feeling… but why? He thought being near him at night would keep the nightmares away.

Mandible sat up. "Vigor… what's wrong?" he whispered.

Vigor looked up at him-

Oh…

Oh, those tears…

These weren't tears of just fear or pain, but of sheer grief. His blue eyes shimmered with them as they flooded down his cheeks, leaving streaks that glistened in the dark.

He felt a pain in his chest. What did he dream about to cause him so much pain?

Vigor wiped his eyes, taking in a deep breath. "Just… a sad memory…" he sniffled.

"What was it?" Mandible asked. Vigor had told him about his bad memories before, but never ones that made him cry…

His slave only shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it… not tonight…"

The werewolf nodded in consent. It was late at night, and talking about something sad would only cause the lad to stay up crying. "Okay. …Are you going to keep sleeping, or do you want to do something else?"

"I'll try to sleep." Vigor lied down, hugging his pillow.

Mandible stayed close. He listened to the sounds of shaky breaths and sniffling, as his slave tried to drift back to sleep…

Of course, by this point, he realized he couldn't call Vigor his slave.

Nor could he deny he hadn't grown attached.

He looked at the window- still boarded up, but still showing hints of the sky; he could sense a full moon would be coming soon. He had to do something to keep Vigor safe- to keep everyone safe. He couldn't send him away or go away himself. No, that wouldn't control his urges.

Mandible looked at Vigor once more. Tears were still fresh on his face.

He reached over and patted him on the back in comfort.

He had to figure something out, before he ended up reliving his own nightmare.

He didn't want to lose another friend.


	36. Sad Memories of a Wolf Pup

The snow came down, falling fast and heavy. Manny looked out the window as he sat at the table, coloring pictures.

He drew a picture of the snow; an awkwardly-drawn wolf was inside a cave, a sad look on its face. He hated it when it snowed out in the woods, having to look for a cave to sleep in.

The wolf pack wasn't very accepting of him. The only reason he lived with them in the first place was because of a maternal shewolf who already had a litter of pups, and treated the wolf-boy as one of her own. Sadly, when he turned 5, the poor shewolf was killed by the alpha-wolf, trying to protect the were-pup; with her dead, no one was around to stand up for him. The Alpha banned him from the pack, and he had to learn to hunt on his own.

Manny looked at his other pictures.

One was of a little boy with a taller boy. Another was of four people in a rectangle on wheels (car). One was of two wolves carrying a boy over their heads. Another was of the same wolves, only the bigger one looked mean and the little one looked sad and was hiding in a closet.

Manny got up from the table, walking over and sitting on the floor, watching the snow fall outside through the screen door.

It was snowy that night, too…

When his cousin turned mean.

To him it was scary. Ever since he was a baby, his cousin had taken care of him when his parents weren't around… actually, his mom and dad were hardly around at all. He didn't even remember what they looked like!

But his cousin remained in his memory… though he forgot his name, he never forgot his face. Same with the rest of his friends. He knew them from their faces, their voices, or- when he was Fangpuss- their scent.

His cousin was the only constant in his life during the first year in his life. As human, he would be loving, caring, often cowardly but the infant found that funny sometimes. When he was a werewolf, he was the same way- just not a coward, and a lot more fun!

Then… something happened.

His cousin came back from a trip with his friends. Manny had to stay with his family during that time. When his cousin left, he was happy, excited about going on another trip with his friends, promising to bring his little cousin back a present.

He was gone a long time… and when he came back, he wasn't happy anymore. As human, he was pale and frightened all the time, spacing off as if he didn't notice anyone else.

When he turned into a werewolf, he was suddenly mean. He chased after Fangpuss, who ran and hid in a closet. He found one of his blocks which had a sun on it. When the closet door was torn open, he held it up.

Then his [human] cousin had a look of shock on his face… and he fell to his knees, crying. He then called up Kim, telling her to watch Manny, then told his cousin he had to go away.

Manny buried his face in his arms. After that…

He didn't know why, but his parents tried to kill him. He was only 3 at the time, and his parents took him out to the woods. His father loaded a shotgun and aimed it at him…

He ran away, crying. Gunshots rang out continually, his father shooting at him until he ran out of bullets; by that time the child had hit in a burrow, staying there overnight. When he stepped out, the vehicle was gone; his parents had abandoned him.

His parents never wanted him.

His cousin disappeared.

His friends weren't around…

When the wolf-pack kicked him out, he decided it was time to start looking for them.

It wasn't easy. He had to hunt every day, often staying in wolf-form in order to stay alert and catch animals. He didn't like it very much at first- he loved animals!- but his wolf-mother claimed it was the only way to eat and survive when he first learned about it.

When he had to learn to hunt by himself, he got used to it. He didn't like it, but he had to stay alive if he was going to find the others someday.

He travelled the woods for a long time. He would keep count of the days, but he couldn't count past 10 yet. It was difficult, finding shelter and making sure he wasn't on another predator's territory.

Even worse, the wolf-pack would be roaming in the same area, setting up a new den as they searched for more animals to hunt.

Just his luck he wandered into their territory this winter! He accidentally turned human after seeing the sun, and was spotted by one of the wolves. He let out a shout, running for his life. Once he got far enough, he drew a circle in the snow and transformed…

…

And soon after, he found his cousin- he found all his friends!

Yet…

Something was wrong.

His cousin wasn't the same. No one was the same.

That's why he hid in the closet when he turned human again. He was afraid his cousin would still be mean to him- that all his friends would be mean to him!

Well, except the short one. He was nice.

The other two were nice too, letting him stay in their home. To him, they were like the mommy and daddy he never had- teaching him how to read, buying him more clothes, letting him have his own room…

But something was still wrong.

He didn't know why, but… he sensed everyone was sad, for some reason.

Why? Because of his cousin? Was he mean to them, too? If that were the case, why were they still seeing each other?

He thought back to their conversation days ago…

His cousin mentioned they lost a friend… Who?

Before they left on their last trip, his cousin was happy. Now he was mean, and everyone was sad.

What happened on that trip?

"Manny?" a voice whispered, breaking him from his thoughts. He looked up at the girl… Kim? That was her name, right? He was trying to remember. "What are you still doing up?"

Manny walked over and held up his pictures. "Pic-chas," he said… he was still learning how to speak and sound out words.

Kim looked at the pictures. After a moment, her eyes became misty. "Oh, Manny…" she knelt down and stroked his head, pulling him into a hug. "It's alright, now. Don't worry,"

If that were true, he thought, why was she still sad? He held up the picture of his friends in a car. "Wa hapin?"

She winced. "It's a sad story… See, we were on a trip, and these bad men… well, they're the reason why your cousin left. He ended up moving to that cabin out in the woods- Biff claimed a relative of his willed it to him, so he let him stay there. He had to change his name, so no one could find him. …We were trying to catch the bad men, because they were kidnapping people and selling them, and they were trying to catch your cousin too… but things went wrong- the bad guys got away, and we lost a friend…"

"Who?"

Kim bit her lip, then picked up one of his pictures- the one with two wolves carrying a boy over their heads. She pointed at the boy. "You remember him, don't you?"

Manny nodded.

She sighed. "We lost him… That's why your cousin turned mean. H-He's not angry at you or us… he's just really sad, and he can't get over it." She shook her head. "It's hard… we all miss him so much…"

Manny only cocked his head in confusion.

Kim sniffled, wiping her face of tears before rubbing his back. "Don't be sad, Manny… he's in a better place now, at least, where no one can hurt him."

At this Manny grinned. He knew she was right.

She picked him up, carrying him upstairs. "Now, c'mon, back to bed. You can draw more pictures tomorrow, okay? Happy ones,"

He nodded. Tomorrow, he would draw a picture that would make her really happy.

Maybe it would make everyone happy again.


	37. Full Moon, Prelude

"You're a monster. I hope you know that."

Silence.

"Hmph. Of course you know… why else would you enjoy it?"

…

"You put us through a lot of pain years ago… and now, because of you, one of my friends has become Public Enemy Number One, running through the outskirts of the city and killing anyone who crosses his path. That probably supported your plans- with him being a wild animal in everyone's eyes, you knew no one would defend him… hell, you'd probably offer to hunt him yourself."

…

"Makes sense… someone in town spots a werewolf, happens to have connections to your human trafficking business… According from our investigations, you two had worked together before- you send him a playmate, he sends you money… but his debts got a little high; when he spotted a werewolf, he struck a crazy bargain. Anyone else would turn him down, thinking he was insane…

"But not you, though. You had a hunch who he was talking about, and went along. Bring in a few traffic victims to use as bait… but you only needed one to draw him in. I looked over Vigor's examinations- no wonder you kept him around. Same blood type, short, black hair… fuck, you make me sick."

…

"That probably gave you some sort of thrill, didn't it? You get a sick kick out of reminding someone of their past- the harder the past, the harder you get, right?! Traumatize him further into his animosity, then everyone would see him as a monster, not realizing the real one conducting the events. You trap him, kill him, and strike it big… Then probably go on to destroy more lives with your sadistic fetish."

Silence answered. Nothing more.

The rookie smirked. "…but your plan backfired, more than you know. You not only lost your chance again, but ended up hospitalized and under police surveillance- and I don't know about the rest of the force, but every time I'm on the shift, I'm waiting for you to wake up. I know you won't say anything- I might as well pull the cord on you now… but I want you conscious when I kill you.

"Plus, I got news… Vigor is still alive. You failed."

"Rookie!" came a voice; officer Becky entered. "I came to relieve ya. …Any change?"

Biff looked at Cain; the man remained still, no signs of consciousness. "Nothing," he muttered.

She patted him on the back. "Head on home, Biff. It's time for your two weeks, remember?"

The rookie did a double-take. "W-What?"

"…Your vacation? You were scheduled for one after putting in so many hours. I thought the chief told you last weekend!"

Biff pondered. "Oh… yeah, he did…" It wasn't true. Bergens always pulled shit like this- if the rookie went in tomorrow, or returned before the two weeks were up, he would get a dock in pay… maybe even suspended, as corrupt as his boss was.

It was to get him away from Cain. Everyone on the force knew how much Biff despised the man…

"Don't worry, rookie, me, Tony, Julie, Rick and the others will be watching him like hawks; my brother works here, too, so he's going to be keeping me up-to-date." Becky assured.

Biff only looked at her. "What about the rest of the force?"

Becky frowned. "…they've been dispatched to keep an eye out for your old friend. Bergens is really taking this 'shoot to kill' order to heart," She looked at the calendar. "Hope the blizzard keeps him out of town- tonight's a full moon."

Biff flinched. "What?! …Shit!" he ran out.

Becky watched him go. "Biff…!"

…

While she had her back turned, a smirk spread on Cain's face.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Kim was helping Manny with his phonics. Over the last few days, he had improved greatly- perhaps now that he was around people again and hearing the human language, he was managing to get a bearing on his speech.

"When can we go see Mandy again?" Manny asked. Still learning, he couldn't say his cousin's full-alias, though Kim found it cute.

"Man-di-ble… and we can't go out today, there's going to be a bad snowstorm." Kim told him. "Hopefully it'll pass quick- I miss seeing clear, starry skies."

"It's a full moon," Manny continued to color.

Kim looked at him, bewildered. "How would you know that?"

"I can sense it,"

She bit her lip. "Do you ever feel… strange, during a full moon? Like, really hyper or wanting to hunt?"

He shook his head. "No. I like howling at it, but that's all."

This got Kim thinking. From what she recalled, Mandible never went insane during a full moon… until…

He tasted blood.

Manny- Fangpuss- tasted the blood of animals, but claimed he doesn't have the urge to hunt. _Maybe it's because he's too young to understand…?Or… because he never tasted human blood?_

Before she could ask more, the door flung open and Biff ran in. "Get your coats- we need to head out! Now!" he said in haste.

"What…? Biff! What's going on?"

"It's a _full moon_ , Kim! You know what happens when-" Biff stopped, seeing Manny watching them in concern.

Kim turned to Manny, sitting him in front of the television to watch cartoons. "One moment, Manny- Biff and I need to talk in private,"

"Um, okay…" Manny responded, sitting down.

Kim and Biff went upstairs. "It's a full moon… Vigor's out there with Mandible, we need to head out there and-!" the young cop was whispering.

"And what, Biff?" Kim interrupted. "Remind him that we don't trust him?"

"KIM… Every month, he goes crazy! The cops have orders to shoot-to-kill for a reason!" He flinched when she raised her hand. "…I'm not saying I think he's a monster, don't slap me."

Kim sighed bitterly. "Biff. Manny told me all he feels like doing on full moon nights is howling. That's all."

"But he's still a kid, he doesn't know-"

"Maybe no one knows. Think about it- Mandible never went mad in the past, until that one night… When everyone started seeing him like the werewolves in movies, he began to believe it- hunting every full moon, living far from others… he lost sight of himself. But now he has Vigor! Ever since that boy came into his life, he's been getting better! I have hope that that's all he needed to move on. Plus, you heard how he helped him- he cares about him!"

Biff let out a heavy sigh. "Kim… I looked over Vigor's medical examinations at the hospitals. His blood type is Rh-null."

She looked at him, confused. "What does that mean?"

"Kim… Puggsy had the same blood type."

She stood there, stunned. Her face had gone blank, and a long silence hung in the air.

Biff, feeling as if he went too far, waved a hand in front of her face. "…Kim?" he snapped his fingers.

Quickly, Kim ran downstairs. "We're going out there. Not because I don't trust Mandible, but to prove there is no way he would repeat the past!" she snapped, no longer caring if Manny could hear or not.

"Kim, I'm just saying… with all things to consider-"

"Biff! Think about it- don't focus on what happened that night, but what happened all the nights before! How close they were- you think he wanted to kill his best friend?! You think he wanted to wake up in blood, realizing that after a horrible disaster, he lost someone he cared about?! He LOVED Puggsy, Biff! Sure, he had his moments where he would harass him, but… fucking dammit, do you really think he wanted to lose him?"

"No… but… you know how he used to-"

"I know what he used to do, Biff… but look at the progress he's made so far with Vigor in his life. He has a second chance- and I doubt he's stupid enough to fuck it up and put us all through this all over again!"

Manny looked at the two. Tears were in his eyes. "Why are you fighting…?" he whimpered.

Kim gasped, running over to him. "Oh, Manny… I'm sorry… Listen, we're going to go out and see your cousin after all, okay?"

"O-Okay, but… why do you think he killed his best friend?"

Biff sighed. "It's… it's a long, sad story, Manny. We'll tell you on the way there." He said. "Right now, we'd better get out there before it starts snowing."

"B-But don't bring it up around Mandible!" Kim added quickly. "It's… it's painful for him,"

"Alright…" Manny responded, the child still a bit confused.

Grabbing their coats, they got into the car and drove off.

…

The snow began to fall hard before they got to the edge of town.

By the time they were out in the country, the roads were getting too slick; Biff had no choice but to pull into the driveway of an old farmhouse, long abandoned after the last resident learned of the beast in the woods…

They entered the house; thankfully the electricity still worked.

As they spent the night, Biff stood by the window, anxious. In his heart, he had hope that maybe Kim was right… but his fear would not let him believe so. Kim, in the meantime, told Manny the story of that fateful night…

The child sat and listened quietly. "I still don't understand…" he whispered, confused. Kim only hugged him tight.

They all sat by a fireplace, slowly falling asleep.

…

By the next morning, the roads were covered in snow. They had to wait until noon before it started to melt, and it was safe enough to drive. Their secret detour was easier, with so many trees helping block the blizzard, the dirt roads were less slick… though they got stuck in the mud or a snow-drift a couple times. Manny turned into Fangpuss to help push them out, eventually pushing the car the whole way.

Once they reached the cabin, it was late in the afternoon. They entered through the back door…

Seeing red stains on the kitchen floor, the trail leading from the cellar. Fangpuss began to sniff around, but Kim picked him up; Biff walked towards the cellar, cautiously investigating.

Kim, meanwhile, held the small werewolf tight as she walked towards the living room… hearing familiar sobbing.

 _He sat there, sobbing… "I'm a monster… I'm a monster…" he cried over and over again, staring at the blood stains on his hands._

She shook her head, trying to block out the memory. Gathering her courage, she peered through the doorway…

The sight kept her frozen, as she saw the living room in shambles… and the werewolf sobbing in guilt.

"I'm sorry, Vigor…"


	38. Full Moon, Interlude

_~Yesterday~_

 _He felt it that morning._

 _It was going to be a full moon tonight._

 _He always felt it, since the day he was born- this sudden energy that heightened his instincts. The way the sound of Vigor's heartbeat woke him; the way he could smell him from outside; the way he could see deep into his eyes from across a room…_

 _Those eyes…_

 _Ever since Vigor woke up crying, there was sorrow in his eyes. Even when he didn't have nightmares recently, sadness still lingered in his gaze. He would try to put on a mask, act like everything was fine- do his chores, do some exercises, read a book, give a smile or make a smart remark when they spoke… but he could still see the grief in his eyes._

 _He could see it clearly today, but the werewolf didn't prod. Vigor didn't want to talk about it? Alright. He could understand._

 _The werewolf had his own memories he didn't want to share._

 _They went through their usual routine- breakfast, chores, exercise, reading- before Mandible took Vigor upstairs at 5:00 in the afternoon._

 _He told him to stay in his room, keep the door locked, and to stay in there no matter what._

 _When the sun began to set and the urge was drawing near… he went down to the cellar._

 _He grabbed a bottle of wine. His fridge was stocked, thanks to Biff- the rookie wanted to make sure his old friend's cravings kept low._

 _He drank half a bottle, before heading up the stairs…_

 _He could smell Vigor._

 _Back to the cellar; he drank the rest of the bottle before going back up._

 _No good, he could still smell him. He returned to the cellar, drinking another bottle, this time full._

 _He walked through the kitchen, his eyes on the floor… remembering the night Vigor pissed himself the first time he saw the werewolf. He sensed his fear clearly that night, how fast his heart was beating…_

 _Then he cut his hand… he still remembered the sight of blood, how red it was, how close he was to tasting-_

 _More wine. This time he drank two bottles, and at this point his mind was growing fuzzy._

' _Stop… over-doing… drunk off your…' the voice in his head was garbled, unable to distract him._

 _His senses were blurred…_

 _He couldn't smell Vigor..._

 _But he still knew where he was._

…

 _He wanted to eat him._

 _For some reason… he hated him._

 _He had been living in solitude before that little shit came into his life._

 _If it wasn't for him, Biff and Kim wouldn't have come back. Fangpuss wouldn't have found him. They would all be out of danger._

 _But now. Vigor just HAD to charm them, didn't he? They brought him books, clothes, anything he asked for!_

 _Did anyone ask the werewolf how he felt? Did anyone respect his opinion?_

 _NO!_

…

 _He wanted him dead._

 _He kills Vigor, then all his problems would be over._

 _Maybe Biff would finally kill him._

 _Then the nightmare would be over for good._

…

 _He ran up the stairs…_

 _He pounded on the door…_

…

 _There was sound of wood breaking._

…

…

…

Mandible opened his eyes.

His head ached like a bitch. _What happened last night…?_ He wondered.

' _You got drunk off your ass and destroyed the house, you fuckass!'_ the voice in his head snapped.

Mandible looked around. The living room was a wreck- furniture was smashed and overturned, books were ripped and scattered, the railing upstairs was broken…

The door upstairs was open.

 _Vigor!_

He ran in… freezing in his tracks.

The room was in _shambles_.

The mattress had been torn to pieces, clothes were shredded...

Vigor was nowhere in sight.

The werewolf began to hyperventilate. _No… this can't be happening… not again… not again!_

"VIGOR!" Mandible hollered, searching the room. "Vigor! Answer me! …fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…!"

He ran down the hall, down the stairs, into the kitchen…

Oh, shit…

There was red all over the floor.

Mandible knelt to smell it, to double check…

He felt a pounding in his head. His hangover was acting up.

He winced, looking around…

"Vigor… please…"

He entered the living room once more, checking the bathroom, the closet…

Nothing.

He fell on his knees, covering his face.

Silence lingered in the air, the only sound was a howling wind outside.

*Clack! Clack! Clack!*

He looked up…

The upstairs porch door!

It was open…?

The wind was blowing it open.

He ran up, looking out on the deck…

There were tracks, slightly covered due to the blizzard last night. He tried to sniff them, but his hangover acted up every time he tried to use his wolf-instincts. Alright, track like a human then…

He followed the trail… the footprints went down the stairs, around the house…

There was a mound of snow beneath the deck. Shit! Did he sleep outside?! In this condition, he could have frostbite!

Mandible dug…

Only some logs.

He looked over, seeing the cellar doors… the lock broken off.

He ran into the cellar…

…

Damn, he really got wasted last night, didn't he?

Wine bottles, at least 7, were lying around… and another two were shattered on the stairs.

He searched around, seeing no sign of Vigor. He climbed the stairs, careful of the broken glass.

Another wine bottle had rolled under the wood stove… there was still some left inside.

 _Well that explains the red stained floor…_ Mandible thought with relief. _But where's Vigor?_

He kept walking, wondering where he could be…

He looked upstairs.

The only room he hadn't checked was the forbidden one.

Of course. He had to be in there…

He walked towards the stairs, pausing.

No. Vigor wouldn't be in there. It was locked tight. Even if it wasn't…

The way Mandible acted, he was long gone… one way or another…

The werewolf gripped the railing, kneeling and clenching his fist…

…

Something moved underneath the stairs.

Mandible gasped, looking beneath them…

Curled up in a thick blanket, the axe beside him, was Vigor.

"Vigor…? Vigor!" Mandible reached forth and shook him. "Wake up…"

Vigor groaned, opening his eyes…

And screamed.


	39. Full Moon, Aftermath

_~Last Night, Vigor's Point of View~_

It started out as an average day…

Then declined into insanity.

It started at 5 PM, when Mandible approached me after dinner while I was doing the dishes. "I want you to go to your room," he told me calmly. There was worry in his eyes.

"Already…? Why?" I asked, a bit suspicious.

He rubbed his arm. "…It's a full moon tonight."

I thought for a moment.

That means I've been here for a month, since he first brought me here…

After his attack.

"Are you… going anywhere?" I asked carefully.

He sighed. "No. I don't plan to." He looked out the window; snow was coming down hard. "A blizzard is coming in."

We walked upstairs. "What do you plan to do? Just keep me in my room?"

"I plan on drinking wine. It's a good substitute, and helps null my senses." He stood in the doorway. "Lock the door… and no matter what, don't come out until sunrise."

I nodded. After what I saw the first night, combined with the anxious look in Mandible's eye, I decided to follow this order through. "Will you be alright?"

The werewolf paused. "I… I think I will. I hope I will." He rested a paw on my shoulder. "Just… make sure you stay out of my way, alright? I don't want to hurt you."

"I'll stay out of sight, then. Take it easy, alright?"

"Heh, you make it sound like I'm going out partying. …See you in the morning," With that he shut the door.

I locked it, then sat down on the mattress. This would be the first night in over a week that I would sleep without the werewolf by my side…

I thought about how much had changed in this month. I shut my eyes, meditating on the memories I had gained- meeting Biff, getting kidnapped, saved/captured by Mandible, meeting Kim, Fangpuss, watching as the beast I called master changed into a more caring creature…

Soon I drifted off…

…

 _I was back in the field once more, this time lying on my back and watching the clouds roll by._

 _The figure from before rested beside me, the tall blades of grass obscuring his features, though I could make out a pair of deep hazel-brown eyes. "You again, huh?" I quipped in greeting._

" _Have you remembered anything new?" the stranger asked me._

" _Not quite… but…" I looked up at the skies. "Mandible has told me stories about his past. They're pretty bizarre and sound too crazy to be true… but at the same time, I don't just believe them to be true, I think there's something missing from them… Someone." I sighed. "I know it's the friend he lost… but I don't want to ask about them,"_

" _Because you know how it feels,"_

 _I bit my lip; up within the clouds I could make out a ball of light that was the sun. 'My sunshine', I thought._

" _You two are closer than you think, you know." The stranger spoke, breaking me from my thoughts. "You may unlock all your memories, find out who you are… All it takes are the right words."_

 _I sat up, the tall grass still blocking my view. "Right now, I want to know who_ you _are…" I began to pull the grass away-_

 _ ***BAM! CRASH!***_

I awoke from the dream, hearing angry growls and snarls downstairs, the sound of furniture breaking apart.

" _Fucking…! Why'd I bring him in?! Stupid fuck-face is just making things worse!"_

I gripped my pillow tight, hearing Mandible's words.

" _Could've kept everyone away… now everyone is here… now I might kill 'em… cuz of that shrimp! Gonna kill him! Kill!"_

His words sounded slurred and rushed, as if he wasn't thinking. _He's drunk,_ I thought. He did say he was going to drink wine to ease his craving…

Exactly, how much did he drink?

" _Fucking piece of shit… I should've ate him when I had the chance! He's nothing but trouble! I can't handle him…! (hic) That's it! I'll eat him… where the fuck are the stairs…? (ow!) Stupid chair!"_

*Crash!*

I flinched, then heard thundering footsteps as he was coming up the hall-!

*BAM! BAM! BAM!*

"VIGOR! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE!" the werewolf bellowed, pounding his fists on the door. The alcohol he consumed must have weakened his strength, otherwise he could have ripped it off its hinges.

I began to panic, looking around the room. I thought about hiding in the closet- too obvious- under the mattress- no good- or under the table- too stupid- but there was nowhere that could protect me from the werewolf.

I did the only thing I could think of…

I pressed myself against the wall by the door, just as the werewolf was starting to make it crack. Perhaps once he burst into the room, I could sneak out- in his drunken state, his instincts couldn't be that sharp.

"That's it…! I'm breakin' the door down…!" Mandible hollered, and I heard him backing up. "Here I come… Ready or not-!"

*CRASH!*

*THUD!*

I flinched. I waited ten seconds, then quietly unlocked the door, peeking out…

Seeing that the intoxicated furball ran in the wrong direction and broke through the banister! I could hear him groaning, muttering curses, which meant he was still up.

I looked around- there was nowhere I could hide up here…

My eyes fell on the door leading outside onto the deck. During her decorating, Kim convinced Mandible to pry the boards off; however the door had to remain locked, as the latch was broken.

I unlocked the door, looking outside- the wind was blowing and snow was flinging to the earth…

I heard snarling, seeing Mandible was stumbling up the stairs again. "Going to… rip your dick off… you little shit…!" he was slurring.

I decided to take my chance with the blizzard, slipping out the door and holding it shut behind me.

Even from outside against the howling wind, I could hear the angry snarls and growls as Mandible tore up the room searching for me. I moved away from the door, worried he would still have enough sense to figure out I snuck out the door, and made my way around the deck.

I shivered fiercely, holding onto the railing as the snow blinded me, walking down the stairs and keeping against the cabin wall until I reached beneath the deck. I sat near the log pile, keeping my arms wrapped around myself and wincing.

I thought about the harsh words the werewolf had spat in his drunken daze… was it just the alcohol, or was he letting loose bottled emotions?

I looked at the cellar doors. The lock was rusted, I noticed; grabbing the axe, I swung down and hit it hard- my workouts paid off as I managed to break it with two swings. I opened the cellar doors, keeping the axe with me as I once again made my way into the cellar. It felt like the first night… only there were less dead animals hanging by meat hooks and my 'host' was under the influence of wine. Quite a lot, as I counted the bottles littered around.

*Crash!*

I gave a jolt, hearing the werewolf throw another violent fit.

I curled up by the freezer, listening to Mandible rant and rave, calling me every foul name in the book, describing every violent thing he'd do to me, griping about how I ruined his life and how he wanted me dead…

Tears were welling up in my eyes with every minute.

…

By 1 AM, I heard him coming down the stairs. I held my breath…

He walked over to the mini-fridge, grabbing three more bottles of wine and climbing the stairs. Two fell out of his grasp and broke on the stairs. "Shit…" he slurred, continuing up the steps.

I waited, listening as something dropped and rolled on the floor, then heard rushing footsteps… and the sound of vomiting. After 15 minutes there was a *thud*. I waited 20 more minutes before finally deciding to see if it were safe to come out of hiding.

I looked in the kitchen, seeing the spilled wine on the floor. Keeping the axe close, I peered into the living room, seeing Mandible passed out by the fireplace… which now reeked of vomit. I looked at the stairs, seeing a few steps were broken.

He shifted, and my first instinct was to hide, and I ducked under the stairs, covering myself with a thick blanket. I peeked out, seeing that the werewolf remained motionless; the only sounds he made now was heavy breathing, the alcohol having put him to sleep.

But I stayed awake, unable to drift off peacefully, thinking about what I had heard… what I had seen… how I felt…

It was nearing dawn before I succumbed to fatigue.

…

…

…

 _I dreamt I was running._

 _Someone was calling my name._

 _Fire was all around me._

 _Something was chasing me._

 _Something grabbed me._

…

I opened my eyes…

Seeing Mandible right in front of me.

"Augh!" I screamed, backing away.

The werewolf stared at me, hurt. Pain was in his eyes. "V-Vigor… I…"

I only stared at him, trying to control my breathing, my heart pounding in my chest; I couldn't stop shaking… Just like the first night I saw him.

He reached towards me and I flinched and shut my eyes tight; when nothing happened, I looked at Mandible, seeing him pull away. Slowly, he stood up- he stumbled a bit, having to grab onto the overturned couch to steady himself.

Taking a breath, I stood up, approaching him slowly. "M… Mandible?" I said quietly.

"…Did I hurt you last night?"

I paused, thinking about the words that came from his mouth. "Yeah… you… said some awful things…"

"I mean in a physical sense."

"No. I managed to get out before you could even see me."

He let out a heavy sigh.

I took a step closer. "Are you alright?"

"I'm a monster… you saw that again last night, didn't you? You heard it last night…" he looked over his shoulder at me. "Yet here you are, still."

"Where else could I go?"

"What would it matter, so long as you got away from a _beast_!" he slammed his fist on the couch, falling to his knees, his face covered.

I bit my lip, but walked over. "I told you, I'm not leaving. We have a deal, remember?"

No response.

I sat quietly beside him. Neither of us spoke for what seemed like hours, time seeming to have frozen.

…

After the long silence, he spoke once more. "The deal is off,"

"Huh?" I looked at him, believing I misheard.

"You're no longer my slave. As soon as Biff and Kim come back, I want you to go back with them, and never come back." His fists were clenched, his shoulders shaking. "I can't keep you around, Vigor… last night was proof of that."

I grimaced. "And being alone will fix everything?"

"As long as my friends are out of danger…"

"Idiot… they'll never be out of danger…"

His ears pointed up, and he turned and gave me a look. "What?!"

My fingers curled into my pantlegs, and I could imagine the needle points in my skin, still feel the wound in my shoulder, recall every part of my skin where I had been beaten and bruised. "Danger will always be a part of life, Mandible… take it from someone who knows. I don't know anything about my past… all I know is that one day I woke up in the dark, and had to face hell every single day, even in my sleep.

"And out here is no different… I find shelter with you, but what happens? I run into thugs, wolves, rabid mountain lions… If I go back to the city, it will be just as bad if not worse. I could get kidnapped again, murdered, raped, catch some disease… nowhere is safe. That's what I had to deal with for the last four weeks.

"The moment I feel safe… then I have a nightmare." I looked at the sunlight filtering through the windows. "Whether it's about fire, or torture, or… the night I lost a friend."

Mandible sneered, as if knowing where I was going with this. "At least you never killed one…"

"She still died because of me!" The tone in my voice caused him to lean back, shocked. "I told her I would help her out… I told her that someday I'd find a way for us to both be free… We had our chance that night you caused the wreck, running down an alley to get away… They shot at us, and she took a bullet behind me- I should have been behind her! I could have protected her! But I couldn't… I lost Sunny, and nothing I can do can ever change that… I thought if I saved Kim, I could make up for it, but I couldn't even do that…

"But you did," I looked at him, tears forming in my eyes. "You… you also saved some other victims, too. Biff said there were more survivors, and they're in therapy. And… you saved me- a lot."

"It doesn't matter…" Mandible muttered. "No number of lives I save can make up for the one I took…"

"I know… but… would your friend want you to live like this? To keep everyone out, linger in rage and guilt, get drunk off wine and bloodlust? …I couldn't save Sunny, but she wouldn't want me to dwell on it. It's clear you loved your friend, and didn't want to hurt them…"

"But I did…! I… I woke up with his blood on my hands…! I could taste it in my mouth…!" He began to wince. "I can't go through that again… I can't lose another friend… I don't want to kill you, Vigor."

I grabbed his hand. "You could have killed me the night you saw me, but didn't. You may be a lot of things, Mandible- fierce, stubborn, stupid at times… but you're not a monster. Would a monster cry over a friend he lost?"

"I-I'm not crying! …*sniffle*"

I reached up, gripping his shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere, Mandible. I'm staying… but no more drinking. The way you were last night… I think the wine was what brought out the worst in you. I-I hated hearing all the things you said, saying I was worthless, how you wanted me dead… it hurt, but I know you didn't mean any of it. I know you want to find a way to ease this addiction of yours, but we need a better solution… and I ain't going anywhere until we find one,"

Mandible choked, turning his back to me. "Why would you want to help me after what I put you through last night?"

I walked around until I was right in front of him. I sat in front of him, grabbing both his shoulders, making sure he looked at me square in the eye. "Because… you're my friend, Mandible. You helped me… it's time I helped you too. No matter what you do, I'm staying."

Tears welled up in his eyes. "Vigor…" he covered his face, beginning to sob. "I'm… sorry…"

I sat there for a moment; never since my coming here did I ever imagine I'd see the werewolf cry. I scooted closer, only to be trapped in a tight hug. "Mandible…?"

"I'm sorry, Vigor…"

I leaned against him, managing to get an arm free and stroke his arm. "It's okay, Mandible… Everything will be okay,"

…

"Woof!"

The two of us gave a jolt and looked over, seeing Kim in the doorway, a smile on her face and tears in her eyes; in her arms was Fangpuss, his tail wagging.

How long had they been there?

Biff came waling over. "Good news, it's just wine-" he began to tell Kim, then noticed us. He looked around, surveying the damage… then gave us a look. "What all happened here last night?"

Mandible rubbed his head. "Let's just say… hangovers really suck," he muttered.


	40. You Are My Sunshine

Finding a substitute for Mandible was more of a challenge than we considered.

Not that it was because he would lash out in a rampage—even if he did, Biff had heavy tranquilizers out in his car, and stood ready just in case. No, it was finding the right kind of substitute for blood (and wine) that was the hard part.

I wonder if this is what it's like for rehab employees.

The first method we tried was tomato juice. Kim squeezed a few tomatoes into glasses and had him drink them in the afternoon… after having the werewolf clean up the mess he made, all the while chewing him out for destroying all the things she had bought.

Drinking several glasses at sundown… well, he didn't attack, but that's mainly because he suffered a horrible acid reflux; he ended up throwing it up later that night, the pain in his chest keeping him from lashing out.

Although he still cursed about it. I had to laugh when Manny asked what his words meant.

The following morning, everyone put their minds together. "What if you took some tranquilizers?" Kim suggested. "Something to make you sleepy,"

"If I didn't die from a drug-overdose with the amount I'd need, I'd probably become addicted." Mandible muttered.

"What if we blindfolded you and led you deep into the forest? Then you could spend the whole night hunting wildlife trying to find your way back until sunrise," Biff offered.

"I know the woods too well- plus I could follow your scent back."

"Alright, how about chaining you in the basement?"

"Ya got any gold chains?"

"I brought silver ones,"

"Seriously, Biff?" Kim sighed. She looked at me. "Do you have any ideas, Vigor?"

I pondered a moment. "Well… what if we found something you liked more than the taste of wine? And we could find you a hobby that would distract you from your urges to hunt,"

The werewolf rolled his eyes. "We already came to that conclusion, dumbass."

"Mandible!" Kim slapped him. "Watch your mouth! …Manny, don't repeat that."

Manny was sitting on the floor, reading the remains of a comic book. "Don't repeat what?" he asked.

"N-Never mind…" she turned to Mandible. "There has to be something you like…"

"What about ice-cream pizza? Or donuts and ketchup?" Manny guessed.

I arched an eyebrow. "What kind of diet do you guys have him on?" I asked Biff and Kim.

Mandible rolled his eyes. "That's what I used to eat when I was human… I had weirder cravings than I do now!"

"What if we gave it a shot?" Kim suggested. "I mean, it sounds gross to blend foods like that, but it might work."

"Yeah, maybe it'll make you so sick you never want to eat again," I joked.

The werewolf scoffed. "I'm suffering from enough indigestion as it is, thank you very much."

"Want chocolate?" Manny offered, reaching into his backpack and pulling out a candy bar.

"Manny? Where did you get that?" Biff asked.

"In the cup-board that said 'di-eat'."

Biff looked at Kim with a smirk; she blushed. "Make a comment. I dare you." She sneered.

Mandible sighed and took the candy bar. "I doubt chocolate is going to have much of an effe-" he said as he took a bite. He paused, sucking on the piece in his mouth, savoring the taste. "Mmm… Mmm! Damn, I nidn' know wha' shocola' dasthed like,"

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Biff quipped.

"Are you saying you've never had chocolate?" I questioned.

Mandible swallowed. "Not that I remember. This may be a good substitute,"

"Just don't eat too much. They say canines shouldn't have chocolate," Kim warned. "It could kill you if you eat too much,"

"They also say masturbation makes you go blind-"

*SLAP!*

"LANGUAGE!" Kim snapped again.

"What's mass… turd-bait shun?" Manny asked, this time hearing clearly.

…That's when Mandible went from tasting chocolate to tasting soap.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The sun was beginning to set; by that time we made some preparations.

As extra precaution, Mandible had Biff chain him to the bathtub; Kim gave him a couple more chocolate bars at sundown to help with his cravings; Fangpuss stood guard with Biff in the living room, the pup's senses able to alert the officer in case he drifted asleep.

I stayed with Kim in the kitchen, having lit the stove to add some heat in the chilly cavern. Sleeping upstairs wasn't an option lately, since the stairs were in need of repair and a new mattress was required for a proper night's sleep.

"The weather has been warm, lately. I think spring will be here, soon." Kim whispered. "I'd love to take you shopping,"

"You spent so much on me already. I'm sorry it needs replaced…" I murmured.

She chuckled. "Don't worry… I have access to Mandible's account."

"He has a bank account? How?"

"Well, he did when he was human. When he moved out here, he gave us access, claiming we could use the money whenever we needed. We hardly touched it, so his assets kept growing. Of course, now that he owes me over a thousand dollars in damage, I think we can empty it a bit."

…

We drifted off half an hour later. Kim was asleep, though I ended up snapping awake, hearing short growls from the bathroom.

I quietly moved my way to the living room. Biff was asleep, tranquilizer gun in his lap, and Fangpuss was sitting nearby, listening to the growls. "Is he… getting savage?" I asked in a whisper.

The wolf-pup shrugged.

I looked at the bathroom door. Cautiously, I peered in through the crack in the door, seeing Mandible shifting against the chains, lightly cursing.

It was stupid… but I went in. "How are you doing?" I asked in a whisper.

"I'm forced to sleep chained to a tub, what do you think- you're doing?!" he sputtered. His eyes were glowing red. "You little fucker, you're not supposed to be near me! Are you trying to get your throat-"

"Shut up."

He froze. "What did you say?"

I sat down in front of him. "I said 'shut up'. Being an asshole isn't going to fix the problem,"

"Tch. And being a smart-ass won't make me kill you?"

"I'll stop being a smartass when you stop being a jerk," I sighed, looking down at the floor. "…you're not as bad as the other night, but that doesn't mean you're getting better."

"Then get the fuck out before I-"

"This isn't the real you!"

"Why do you keep saying that like you know me?!"

"Because… because…" I took a breath, calming down in order to think. "…I told you. When you act like a hardass, there's something- I don't know, hesitation?- just something in your tone and actions. But when you're telling me stories, keeping me safe, making witty remarks, there's no hesitation or tension. I think… I think your problem isn't about bloodlust or wild instincts."

"Then what is it?"

I closed my eyes. It had something to do with his past… about his lost friend… but all I could do was guess. "That's something you'll have to tell me. …When you're ready."

He glared at me, then scoffed and turned away. "…if you can't help me, leave."

"I'm not going to leave until you manage to sleep. You helped me when I was having nightmares, now I want to help you." I smirked, recalling a familiar quip. "Do you want me to sing?"

Mandible scoffed. "Yeah. As if you could sing,"

I moved closer, stroking his head. _"You are my sunshine, my-"_

He growled at me.

I only glared. "Shush!"

He growled again, but softer.

I continued to sing.

" _You are my sunshine, my only sunshine_

 _You make me happy, when skies are gray_

 _You'll never know, dear, how much I love you_

 _Please don't take my sunshine away…"_

He shook his head, a smirk on his lips. "You really are a bad singer," he remarked.

"Like you'd be any better," I scoffed. He rolled his eyes, and I continued.

" _You are my moonlight, my lovely moonlight_

 _You make my sky bright, when it gets dark_

 _You'll never know, dear, how much I want you_

 _You shine brighter than any of the stars…"_

"Those aren't the lyrics," Mandible pointed out.

"Gimme a break, I had to improvise," I replied.

"Where do you come up with this stuff?"

"Just hush,"

Mandible sighed. "Fine… better than Rebecca Black, at least."

I chuckled, and finished the song.

" _You are my sunshine_

 _You are my moonlight_

 _You make my life bright, all night and day_

 _You'll never know, dear, how much I need you_

 _Please don't take my bright light away,"_

Mandible's tail softly flicked; his ear lightly twitched, noting I was sitting there in silence. "What? Need more lyrics?" he asked.

"No, that's all I got," I replied, deep in thought.

He shifted a bit, looking at me. "You didn't have to think about the different verses. Have you sung it before?"

I nodded. "…I used to sing it to Sunny all the time." I looked at him. "She was a girl I had to share a cell with… she was my best friend in that hell-hole. She gave me reason to keep strong, until one day when they separated us; when I saw her again… she never acted the same. The night of the wreck, when she got shot… that's the last time I saw a hint of her true self…" I sighed, folding my legs up to my chest. "I promised her I'd stay strong, that we'd both escape together, that I could save her… but… well, you know how well I kept THAT promise,"

Mandible looked at the ground. "You yelled her name that one night. When you woke up in tears, remember?"

I nodded. "I dreamt she died… only her final words were… 'Why didn't you save me?'" I began to tear up. "I know I need to let it go… she wouldn't want me to hang onto it… but… it still hurts…"

He drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "You ain't alone there, kid. I had someone to protect too… but instead, I killed him." He clenched his fists, his eyes glowing red once more. "I'm a mon-"

I hugged him before he could finish, taking him off-guard. "Stop saying that… Did he see you as a monster? Is that what his dying words were?!"

There was a long silence.

I looked at Mandible, seeing a faraway look in his eye. "I… I don't know… I just remember hearing him scream my name… I was blinded in rage… and I woke up with his blood on my hands." He whispered, trying to think.

"What happened? D-Did you guys get into a fight?"

"No… we were investigating Cain and his kidnappings. We split up to investigate and save as many victims as possible… but they set up a trap for me. They planned on killing everyone so they couldn't tell anyone… and that's when I lost it. I bit a man, drawing blood… and that's when the rampage began."

I watched him, seeing tears forming in his eyes, but he blinked them away.

"The building was in ruins… Biff and Kim had made it outside, and came looking for us… only to find what happened."

I looked at the ground, thinking. "I'm sorry you lost a friend… but… I don't think you killed him. Otherwise you'd have a clear memory of it," I shut my eyes, still remembering Sunny dying in front of me. "You'd remember every detail, as if it happened yesterday."

He shut his eyes next. "Honestly… I've been pushing back his memory. I don't want to remember any details. I've been forgetting him for years…"

I looked at him. "I don't think he'd want you to forget."

"Heh. That would be just like him- I always made him feel regret for being a prick, so he'd want me to feel regret after his death."

"Bullshit. The only thing he'd make you regret is pushing everyone away. He wouldn't want you to forget him, or who you really are… he wants you to forget the pain, the blood, and the guilt."

"Hmph. You say this as if you actually knew him,"

"I know I want you to forget," I moved closer, sitting beside him. "If I could… I'd trade minds with you, so you could forget your past and start over, and I could keep your bad memories. I'm used to them anyway."

"I think you're too soft-hearted,"

"I think you're too soft-headed,"

Mandible scoffed. "Geez, you really sound like Pugs, don't ya?"

There was a gasp from the werewolf. A long silence lingered in the air as I looked at him. "…Mandible?"

"Nothing. …go to bed. I'll be fine…" he said, fumbling with his words.

I stood up, walking out and shutting the door. I looked down, seeing Fangpuss had been keeping guard the whole time.

I went back to the kitchen and lied down by Kim. No growls came from the bathroom, but I could imagine the werewolf sitting there, deep in thought.

I was the same, the name of his lost friend keeping me up until dawn's early light.

I swear I had heard it before.


	41. Friends

_~Vigor's Point of View~_

" _You're starting to remember something, aren't you?"_

 _My dream tonight consisted of me in the field again, only this time there was a tree; the stranger stood on the other side- every time I went around to see them, they only appeared on the other side, so I remained on one side, leaning against the trunk and looking up at the skies, watching clouds pass by._

" _Yeah… I think Pugs was the fourth friend," I admitted. "But… I can't place a face with the name. I keep drawing a blank the more I think about my past,"_

" _Well… try to think about the present. Clearly it's been bringing you clues. Think about all your dreams- when they weren't just about fire,"_

 _I closed my eyes… and my vision drifted into the dark, as I heard howling, a rough voice claiming they were going to get me…_

"Vigor?"

Every frickin' time!

I opened my eyes. I had spent most of the day helping Biff and Kim repair the stairs- Mandible carved new steps out of logs, as well as new parts for the banister. Kim claimed once the snow melted off the highway, she would buy a new bed-frame with a comfier mattress once she went shopping again.

Safe to say, I was ready for a nap after all the work, drifting off for 20 minutes before Kim woke me up. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," she said, though there was a hint of enthusiasm in her eyes.

"It's alright… what do you need?" I asked, stretching.

"I was wondering… would you like to go shopping with me once the snow clears?" She seemed eager, as if expecting me to say 'yes' and join her on a shopping-spree.

I rubbed the back of my neck. Shopping… the first thing that came to mind was a crowded shopping center, people all around, no telling who was innocent or who was a criminal. People would look at me, see how ragged I looked with my long messy hair and clothes that hadn't been washed in a few days, the smell of the woods on me, and wonder how a beautiful woman like Kim could hang out with a tramp.

Then there was Mandible…

" _You aren't my slave anymore…"_ he had said the other day, though he was guilt-stricken when he said that; I also promised to stay with him…

As if reading my mind, Kim gave me a smile. "It's alright. I asked Mandible first, and talked him into letting you get away from the cabin for a day,"

"Um… I-I don't know, Kim. I told you, it's going to be a while before I'm ready to go into society again…" I stammered.

"Tch. I'm not asking you to move to town! It'll just be for a day. Plus… it'll be a good step in your recovery. You can't just hide from civilization, otherwise you'll never be ready to face life."

"Yeah, but… it still feels too soon-"

"Just go, you wimp." Came Mandible's comment, as the werewolf walked in, carrying more logs to stack by the fireplace. "Even I felt like running to town at least once a month."

"(Yeah, to slaughter people,)" Biff murmured under his breath, walking behind him.

With a *thunk*, the rookie-cop was tapped on the head with a log- hard enough to probably leave a large bruise. "Watch it, pretty-boy."

Kim sighed, rolling her eyes; by this point she was used to Biff and Mandible's verbal exchanges (to some degree). She looked at me. "It's up to you, Vigor. I'd like to take you shopping, just so I could find clothes that fit you right," she said.

I shook my head- this woman wasn't going to give up very easily. "Alright… but just for a little while." I said in defeat.

"Terrific! We'll head out tomorrow! The roads should be clear by then,"

"T-Tomorrow?! That soon…?!" I stood up to object, suggest that we wait at least a week, but Kim was already in the kitchen, talking to herself about what all we would need to buy. I looked at Biff. "Is she always this eager to give, or is she just a shopaholic?"

"You should see her on Black Friday," Biff joked, sitting down on the couch. "Don't worry too much, Vigor. Kim and I will be with you, and we'll come back before dark."

"And I'll have a day of solitude," Mandible said, stacking logs.

"What about me?" Manny asked; the young boy had been sitting on the floor, coloring.

Biff looked at him. "Aren't you coming with, Manny? We can find you some new toys,"

"I wanna stay with Mandy-belle, instead."

" _Mandible_ , squirt. Say it with me: _Man-di-ble_." Mandible corrected, holding back his irritation.

"That's what I said- Mandy-belle."

The werewolf face-palmed. "Never mind… Why don't you go shopping with Vigor? Make sure Kim doesn't let him dress like a doofus,"

"I wanna stay here," With that, Manny walked out, as if having the final word.

Mandible turned to Biff. "Tell me, did you and Kim practice ANY discipline, or do you just love spoiling him?"

"Hey, the kid grew up wild." Biff gave a shrug, walking out next.

I sat down by the fireplace, sighing and rubbing my face. Not that I didn't appreciate the generosity, but I was feeling obligated to accept the offer… I felt scared to go back…

Cain was still there…

"Hey,"

I looked up at Mandible, the werewolf standing beside me; he didn't look at me yet.

"You'll come back… and if anyone tries keeping you there for more than a day, I'll come pick you up,"

I shifted. "…why are you so lenient in letting me leave? If Kim wanted to take me shopping two weeks ago, you'd lose it."

"A lot has changed in two weeks… fuck, a lot has changed the moment I brought you here. Only difference is I'm not keeping you as a slave- more of a pesky room-mate who splits the chores but doesn't pay rent,"

I looked at the fireplace, the small flames dancing on the logs. "Will you be alright while I'm gone?"

A scoff. "I've managed fine before you came around, of course I will be!"

"That's not what I meant…"

He looked at me. "Then what DID you mean?"

I wrapped my arms around my legs, resting my chin on my knees. How could I explain it without pissing him off?

Deep down, I felt if I were gone for even half a day, the werewolf would revert back to his vicious nature; I could imagine him growing restless with every passing hour, and if I were gone even five minutes past sundown he would think we abandoned him, leaving him alone once more. I could see him pacing around, guilt and rage building up as he would think his outburst drew too much caution… that his friends were too afraid of his company…

His paw rested on my shoulder, and I looked up at him. "I'll be alright, Vigor. I know you'll come back- you haven't broken that promise yet,"

I rested my hand on top of his. "And I don't plan to."

He scoffed, smirking as he rubbed my head, pushing me aside (I ended up tipping over and landing on my side). "Knock it off, you're making us sound like a gay couple,"

I sat up, pushing him back. "Hey, you started it!"

"Wh—I did not! You're the one getting all sensitive about going shopping!" He shoved me.

"Like you're one to talk, ya hairy hermit!" I shoved back with all my might…

A bit too much, as I ended up tackling him! He gave me a look. "…You have five seconds to run."

Heeding the warning, I pushed myself off of him- grabbing a pillow and throwing it at him to delay him for a second as I rushed out the back door, sliding down the railing and rushing across the field.

Of course, outrunning a werewolf was impossible, as Mandible leaped over the railing and landed right in front of me! "Ha! No escape!"

*Splot!*

A snowball hit him in the face. Looking over, I saw Manny over by a small snowfort.

"Oh, so that's how we're playing, huh?!" Mandible then began to build a massive snowball, preparing to throw it back at him-

*Splot! Splot! Splot!*

Three more snowballs were thrown at him, and I saw Biff and Kim over by their own snow-fort, giggling. In their surprise-attack, Mandible lost his grip on his giant snowball and it fell on his head!

I quickly ran over by Manny, grabbing a snowball. "Fifty points whoever hits the werewolf!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, sure! Gang up on the host!" Mandible sneered, ducking and dodging as we all threw snowballs at him. But his determination increased as he developed an idea- he grabbed a fallen branch and held it like a baseball bat, hitting every slushball that veered towards him!

Before long, Biff and Kim were out, as well as Manny. Mandible smirked, then crafted two large snowballs into his paws, holding them up. "Run!" Kim exclaimed, as she and Biff took off.

Manny threw his last snowball, missed, and took off running next.

I didn't know why, considering I was the main target! "N-Now hold on…!" I stammered.

"Brace yourself for another avalanche!" Mandible exclaimed, preparing to slam the two heaps of snow on me-

Panicking, I stepped on his foot- and he yelped, dropping his icy weapons. "Ooh! Ooh! That's cheating!"

"And building snowballs the size of cannonballs isn't?" I retorted, then dropped a handful of snow on his foot. "Here, that'll help!" I then took off running.

"Get back here!" Hopping on one foot, he chased after me.

I had to laugh. "Catch me if you can, _Mandy-belle_!"

"Oh, you are in for it now, shrimp!" He ran on all fours- er, threes- and lunged at me, tackling me into the snow.

We rolled a bit, his arms squeezing around my ribcage. "Oof!"

"Ha! I've gotcha now!" He picked me up, holding me bridal-style.

I laughed a bit. "O-Okay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Ooh, ooh, you bet you are!" He smirked… then kissed me on the cheek!

"Ack! What the…? Knock it off!" I wiped my face. "Geez, and you were calling ME gay?"

"Ah, shut it- friends in Europe do it all the time! …And I know a guy in Europe to verify that!"

I gave him a smirk. "Oh, so you admit I'm your friend?"

"Hey, you said it yourself the other day, you're my friend…" He paused, a faraway look in his eye as he gasped.

Concern overcame me. "Mandible? What is it?"

He shook his head, then dropped me in the snow. "Nothing. Now, stop fucking around- make yourself useful and go… chop logs or something!" With that, the werewolf stormed off. "I'm going hunting."

I stood up, watching him go. "Mandible!"

I looked over my shoulder; Biff and Kim had been watching, having ducked behind their car during our game, Manny hiding behind a tree. Kim looked at Biff with concern, the rookie cop only shaking his head.

"W-Was it something I said…?" I asked them.

Kim sighed. "No, he's just… It's been a while since…" she was trying to say.

"Why is Mandy mad?" Manny asked, just as concerned as I was.

"…Don't worry about it. Just give him some time to think," Biff assured, leading us inside. "C'mon, I'll help you with your chores,"

…

It was late afternoon; Kim helped fix dinner; afterward we sat in the living room; Manny practiced his alphabet while I read on the couch, Biff having volunteered to do the dishes while Kim went to take a bath.

Mandible had yet to return.

…

Everyone was asleep save for myself.

I sat by the fireplace, closing my eyes, deciding to focus on my dream… how the present could give me a clue…

"Go to bed."

I gasped, looking up at Mandible-I didn't hear him come in. His expression was stern. "H-Huh?"

"It's after fucking midnight. Get some sleep- you'll need it for your little shopping spree tomorrow," he groused, picking me up and planting me in the chair, throwing a blanket on top of me.

"Mandible… what…"

He turned and gave me a sharp look, his eyes glowing red. "I said sleep, you stupid fuck! Otherwise I'll knock you out!"

I flinched, wincing at his words. I wrapped the blanket around myself, turning my back to him. His harsh tone was forced I could tell… but what I couldn't understand was why.

 _All I did was say I was his friend…_ I thought, as I fell asleep, greeted once again by the fiery nightmare.


	42. Progress in Closure

_~Third Person Point of View~_

Mandible stood on the upper deck. It gave a good view of the northside of the woods, he could make out a trickle of a creek, connected to the river, a couple chunks of ice floating down it that signified that the frozen landscape had began to thaw.

Meanwhile, his heart had turned cold once again.

Things were going fine for once. Despite his outburst, Vigor chose to stay- not only that, but support him through this struggle!

Then… he just lost it.

He closed his eyes. He was chasing Vigor for the sheer sake of fun, scooping him up in his arms, kissing him in order to annoy him, both of them acting like the best of friends…

The way he used to act with his last best friend…

He had mentioned his name the other night, for the first time in years.

The werewolf let out a disheartened grunt, covering his face while slamming his fist on the railing, the impact cushioned by slushy snow. _Dammit! Why am I like this?!_

'… _because you miss him.'_ Came the voice in his head.

 _Please shut up._

' _And Vigor reminds you so much of him…'_

 _I said shut up!_

' _From the moment you first smelled him-'_

 _Please, for the love of God, shut up!_

'… _you remembered Puggsy.'_

"Aaaahhhhhhhh!" Mandible snarled, his voice echoing into the skies. He buried his face in his arms, sulking.

…

It was true, though.

He wanted to devour Vigor due to the scent of his blood… the blood that Puggsy had… the blood he found on his hands when he 'woke up' that dark, fateful day.

The beast within him wanted to eat the boy for his blood… because the taste of his best friend had cursed his tongue… but perhaps there was a deeper reason. As much as he didn't want to relive that moment, he wanted to get rid of anyone who had Puggsy's scent.

But Vigor shared more than just his scent. That glare he had whenever he would dare to back-talk the werewolf… hell, HOW he would back-talk the werewolf. Just slap a Brooklyn accent on that kid, have him work out for a few months, and he'd be a spitting replica!

It reminded him of another memory of their adventures, how Puggsy was a twin to King Rudolph of Bavaria. After that dilemma, everyone joked that the two were probably long-lost brothers, and their friend eventually begged them to drop the crazy theory. Mandible smirked. He knew it wasn't true. For one thing, despite how similar they looked, he could tell the king from the commoner easily just from their scents.

He sighed… it was one story he figured he would never share with Vigor. Hell, the moment he started telling him stories, he had to cut out a few major parts because Puggsy was involved. There wasn't a single trip where the two weren't at each one another's side. Thinking back to all those adventures made him wish his best friend were still around.

Fuck… this whole mess wouldn't have happened if Puggsy were still at his side. Mandible wouldn't be killing people, Biff wouldn't have had to help him hide in isolation, Kim would be able to focus on college, Manny would have a stable home…

' _What about Vigor?'_ the voice in his head asked, seeing his thoughts.

Mandible thought… perhaps if things had gone right that night, Vigor wouldn't have been kidnapped at all and would be walking the streets, living a good life. Cain would be in prison rather than in intensive care… who knows? Maybe they would have met under different circumstances…

But, it was not meant to be.

He had lost his best friend.

And he was pushing away others.

 _I want them around…_ he thought to himself. _But I'm afraid of attachment. I already lost one best friend… if I lose any more…_

' _But they've been helping you in staying in control,'_

 _That's not just it. Suppose they get into a car-wreck, or catch a disease? …and if death isn't the case, their lives are. Biff can't keep checking up on me forever, and sooner or later the rest of the cops will catch on and he'll lose his position with his communication with me. Kim dropped out of college because of me! Manny will need a good home where he can be safe, and the same goes for Vigor… They'll all want to get on with their lives, they can't hang on to me forever. Someday, we'll drift apart… and it'll just be me again._

' _Not really… You'll make new friends, and you can still find a way to keep in contact. You're never really alone unless you cut ties with everyone,'_

 _Yeah right… and since when were you the optimist?_

' _Since when were you the pessimist? …What I'm saying is, you can't let fear keep you from having friends. Friends will come, friends will go, and all you'll have left will be memories to reflect on… but it's those memories that make it all worthwhile,'_

Mandible stood up straight, looking up at the starry skies. It seemed the stars always shined brightest during the winter.

 _Never alone, huh?_

The voice had gone quiet. It was amazing… normally he never spoke with that side of himself for this long. Every time, he would push it back, not wanting to face that part of himself.

Ever since he met Vigor, it was beginning to surface more.

Nodding to himself, Mandible walked back inside. He looked over the railing of the stairs, seeing the boy curled up in the chair. He could make out tears on his face—the Nightmare was back again.

Making his way down carefully, so not to wake the others, Mandible walked over to Vigor; carefully, he picked the boy up. The kid had gained weight, he now noticed, having built a bit of muscle in the last month- sure, he was still a scrawny thing, but he was no longer a walking skeleton at least. He sat down in front of the fireplace, leaning against the chair as he cradled the lad in his lap.

Vigor stirred, groggily looking up at him. "Mandible…?" he murmured, sleepily.

Mandible brushed a tear off his face. "Shh, go back to sleep…" he whispered.

Vigor leaned against him, but didn't go back to sleep just yet. "…why did you get mad?"

The werewolf took a breath; he should have known the shrimp would want to talk rather than sleep. He looked over at Biff, Kim and Manny- the three of them were still asleep. He wanted to wait until morning, but chances are Biff or Kim would give him an early-morning lecture once they woke up; if not, he didn't want anyone to go shopping with hard feelings on their minds.

"It's just…" he began to say, biting his lip; it felt like there was a weight on his chest he couldn't lift.

A hand held his paw. "If it hurts, don't tell me," Vigor said quietly, his tone sounding like he was still sleepy. "Whatever I did… just let me know, and I won't do it again."

Mandible cringed, then held him tight. "Dammit, shrimp, you didn't do anything!" he took a breath, forcing himself to calm down so not to startle the others. "You didn't do anything wrong, so stop blaming yourself for all my bad moods. I just got mad because… you reminded me of my friend,"

Vigor looked up at him. "…Puggsy?"

Mandible held him tighter- hearing the name come from someone else really put a pain in his heart. "I… used to chase him around like that all the time. The only way he'd get me to calm down was… was reminding me that we were friends,"

"Why did he have to remind you?"

The werewolf gave a half-hearted chuckle, thinking back. "To be honest, we had a weird friendship… He'd call me names, I'd shake him around, both of us always messing with each other like best friends often do. Despite harassing each other, we'd still have each other's backs."

"He travelled with you, right? …Was he part of those stories?"

"Yeah… I-I just didn't bring him up, because… you know…"

"I understand," Vigor pondered a moment, before looking up at him again. "What was he like?"

Mandible paused. He had been pushing memories of Puggsy so far back in his mind, it was hard to remember all the details. "Outside of his attitude? …he was a nice guy. Every time we were in trouble, he'd come up with some sort of plan to get us out of it. He was kind of the brains of the group that way- a smart-ass, in more ways than one, heh."

"Tell me more about him…"

The werewolf sighed, rubbing Vigor's back. "Another time… it's a lot for me to deal with… plus, you need your sleep."

Vigor nuzzled against him. "Fair enough…" he shut his eyes.

Mandible shifted, lying back so that Vigor was resting on him like a mattress, just like the first time. He rubbed the boy's back with one hand, while using his other one as a headrest. Soft snoring soon reached his ears, as the younger man was fast asleep once more.

The werewolf shut his eyes, drifting off next.

…

Manny opened one eye, looking at his cousin.

He had questions… but decided to ask in the morning.


	43. Sudden Realization

One thing that was hard about cold mornings in the cabin was the lack of heat. The moment the fire would go out, the chill would creep around the room, causing anyone to shiver in their sleep. It was a miracle I overcame the flu in these conditions… of course, since I had spent years inside a dark cell with no heat, bed, or proper nutrition, my body probably considered this place a suite compared to that hell-hole.

It wasn't the cold itself that I couldn't stand; it was when I would have to get up and face it, not wanting to leave the warmth of the bed, couch, chair…

Or, in this case, Mandible's arms.

I ended up waking from a dream involving being in a castle of sorts, talking with someone. Who it was, I couldn't say… I just felt they were familiar, and were probably royalty. Once the dream ended, I opened my eyes; it was still early in the morning, the sun still having yet to climb above the horizon. Mandible was still asleep; at some point during the night, he turned on his side, one arm being used as a headrest, the other wrapped around me.

Closing my eyes, I shifted closer. He was so warm, and I felt comfortable listening to his heartbeat through his fur. It was times like this I didn't want to get up, and just embrace the warmth that not only kept the chill away, but warded off the Nightmare.

I felt safe.

…

"Vigor, Mandy-belle, psst!"

I opened my eyes, seeing Manny knelt beside us. Mandible shifted, groggily waking up himself. "Hm? Wha…?" the werewolf was first to speak. "What'ya want, kid?"

"Kimmy says it's time to get up,"

"Already?" I looked towards one of the windows; there were no signs of light yet. "The sun isn't even up yet…"

"It will be in a few minutes. She's making breakfast- wants everyone to eat before you head out,"

I groaned, burying my face in Mandible's fur. "…five more minutes…"

I heard a rumble in his chest as the werewolf chuckled. "C'mon, pipsqueak, get up. If you want to go shopping with Kim, you have to expect to be ready by dawn," he said and, to my dismay, got up and walked over to the kitchen.

Shivering, I wrapped the blanket around my shoulders, already missing the warmth. "Fine, alright…" I yawned, sitting up-

Ow…

I hissed in pain, rubbing my back. "Are you okay?" Manny asked.

"Yeah… sleeping on the floor probably hurt my back," I assured him, not that it was the first time I had to sleep on a floor. Still, my muscles ached and I felt strange. Also hungry. I stood up, stretching until my shoulders, back, and neck popped, then made my way into the kitchen. "What's for breakfast?"

"I hope you don't mind, but I decided to make some hot-cakes… oh!" Kim was replying, turning and gasping when she looked my way. Biff was already at the table with a cup of coffee, looking over just as surprised.

I looked over my shoulder. "What? What's wrong?"

Mandible stepped up beside me. "Hey, runt, does anything look different to you?" he quipped.

I looked at him… finding myself at his shoulder. "Huh?"

"Heh, I don't think you can call him 'runt' anymore, Mandible." Biff replied.

"Vigor… you've grown!" Kim exclaimed.

I looked at myself. Everyone was right! "What the…? When did I hit a growth spurt?!"

"It must have happened overnight. Since you've been eating better and getting out more, I guess the process finally caught up to you," Biff figured.

"Don't get too excited- you're still a shrimp," Mandible scoffed, rubbing my head.

"Still… better than always looking like a middle-schooler," I replied.

"How old are you, exactly?" Kim asked, setting a plate down on the table. Mandible went to the fridge, helping himself to some leftover meat.

"I… don't exactly know…" I rubbed my head, thinking. "I think… I was a teen when they kidnapped me,"

Biff looked at me. "You're starting to remember more?" he asked.

"I think so… When I was kidnapped, I had more muscle, that much I remember. I think I was… I don't know, maybe 16? 17?"

Manny looked at Kim. "How old are you guys?" he asked.

"Us? Well… I'm 22," Kim answered.

"So he would be your age,"

"How do you figure that?" Mandible questioned.

"I dunno. You always look the same age to me," With that, Manny climbed up to the table, eating his own breakfast.

"Well… I guess it's a good thing we're going shopping! You're going to need some bigger clothes, now." Kim told me with a smile.

Biff looked at Mandible, a look of exasperation on his face already. "…better not wait up, we may be spending a lot of time in the changing rooms."

"In that case- see you next month," Mandible joked.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Once breakfast was done and the dishes were washed, Kim was practically ushering Biff and I to the car. "We'll be back later. Manny, you be good- make sure your cousin stays out of trouble!" she said with a grin.

"Exactly which one of us is the babysitter?" Mandible sneered.

"Bye! Bring me back something good!" Manny exclaimed, waving to us as we drove off.

I looked out the window as we drove; the sun was rising, the area blanketed with snow. In the distance I saw a few deer prancing deeper into the woods, before the view changed to a wide field.

It was beautiful.

"When we get to town, I want to swing by the office," Biff replied. "I want everyone to know we found Vigor, and he's doing alright."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kim asked. "I mean, if they take him in to questioning, they might keep him the whole day- maybe longer. They might ship him off to a recovery center-"

"I'll be fine." I spoke up. "Plus, it would be worse if the cops saw me walking around the mall with Biff; I was in his charge when I got kidnapped again. They might get suspicious if we didn't report in,"

"Well, what are we going to tell them? We can't bring up Mandible…"

"We won't. We'll just say Vigor managed to escape, but got lost in the city." Biff replied.

"That's not going to cut it, Biff- for one thing, I ain't an idiot." I sneered. "We'll just say…"

…

"I was unconscious after they got me. When I woke up, I was in bed, my wounds bandaged, and there were no signs of anyone. I must have been saved by an introvert, because they didn't really like to socialize and were afraid of socializing. They didn't have a phone either, so there was no way I could call. By the time I got my strength back, they finally said I could go… and Biff managed to find me in the area, and here we are now."

I could tell from Chief Bergen's face that he wasn't buying the story, so I kept my guard up when he leaned back in his chair and said, "Sounds like you were taken care of quite a character. Can you describe what he-or-she looked like?"

I shook my head. "Not really… but I'm sure it was a guy,"

"Can you at least tell us where he lived? There might be a slim chance he was working with those traffickers,"

"He lived pretty far away. The yard was big, and the house looked like it needed a touch-up," I replied, making sure my tone was as naïve as possible. "It was easy to get lost after he had me leave. I guess he really liked his privacy,"

"Did you get his name at least?"

"Manny Bell. …Does that sound familiar?"

He rubbed his chin, studying me. I kept a poker-face; I was used to being eyed, having trained myself to keep cool in circumstances like this. "Not really… seems like your 'caretaker' is really antisocial, if he gave you a fake alias- maybe to make sure no one found out who he really is,"

 _That's pretty much the point,_ I thought, feeling smug with the alibi.

"Alright, Vigor… Are you sure you're doing okay? Nothing to report?"

"No, sir. Biff is going to take me to the doctor for a proper check-up, then Kim is going to take me shopping. They're helping me move into a new place,"

"Really? …Are you sure you're comfortable with living amongst society again? In most cases, many victims aren't ready to start new lives for several years,"

I straightened my shoulders, giving him a firm glance. "Ask any of the victims you've rescued, sir, and they will let you know- I can't be broken easily. I'm ready to start a new life,"

…

That last part was a big fat lie. I was far from ready to walk the streets, be around other people, or go anywhere.

But that's why Biff and Kim were with me. Every time I flinched or felt uneasy, Biff would rest a hand on my shoulder in reassurance, or Kim would hold my hand and give it a gentle squeeze.

The doctor appointment went alright. After checking my wounds to make sure they weren't infected, giving me a full-body examination, and changing my bandages, the doctor assured me I was doing alright, especially since I had gained more weight and increased in height.

It was a little after noon when we started our 'shopping spree'. The mall was crowded- though with Kim pulling me into almost every store [she figured] I'd like, it was easy to ignore other people.

We had hit four stores before Biff- stuck carrying the bags- suggested we take a break and get something to eat. Kim advised I start out light, as my stomach would probably need to get used to fast-food and she didn't want to risk me getting sick.

I looked around; we had picked a table off to the side, so that I wouldn't feel overwhelmed. A few other people were talking all at once, so I felt my voice would be hidden in the echoes of gossip. "I have a question," I began, leaning closer so they could hear me better over the crowd. "About when you guys travelled,"

Biff and Kim exchanged looks, but shrugged. "Sure, ask away." The rookie cop replied, sipping a soda.

"Well… can you tell me about your friend Puggsy?"

"SPPPTTHHHH!"

…it took all my strength not to reach across the table and slap Biff after he spewed his drink on my face.

"S-Sorry!" he handed me some napkins.

After wiping my face, I looked at the two. "Okay, I know something terrible happened to him, but… what's with the stunned reactions?"

"It's just… I didn't expect you to know his name," he turned to Kim. "Did you mention it to him?"

Kim shook her head. "No,"

"Mandible did… well, by accident." I told them, only to get more surprised expressions. "He told me a little about him, but… well, he didn't want to bring up details."

"Why do you want to know more about him?"

"I feel like I've heard his name, before. I just can't figure out where."

Kim rubbed the back of her neck, a sad look on her face. "It's been so long… I don't think I could recall everything," she murmured, numbly picking at her fries.

It then occurred to me that the two must be hurting just as much as Mandible about the loss, and immediately felt ashamed. "Sorry. If you guys don't want to talk about him, I won't prod."

"No, it's… it's okay," Biff sighed, shaking his head. "I've been mourning for him for the last five years- the best I could do is at least share his story,"

"Biff…" Kim said softly.

The rookie took a deep breath. "Puggsy was… well, pretty much a rebel. We met him in freshmen year of highschool. Everyone thought he was a brute, thought he was illiterate because he would mispronounce or make up his own words, but he was actually a pretty smart guy."

For the next ten minutes, Biff told me about their lost friend, with Kim jumping in to share some details. Puggsy, apparently, was a stubborn loudmouth but good friend; Mandible liked to harass him, he would throw out an insult, but always stuck by his side on their adventures. He was a smart guy like Biff said, the rookie bringing up how when he and Kim were in a jam, their friend was the one coming up with ways to help them out, much like what Mandible had told me last night, but with more detail.

As they spoke, the stories Mandible told me began to fill in the blanks on their own. Plot-holes just seemed to wrap up… only… I couldn't imagine a face.

"What did he look like?" I asked.

"Short, black hair, always wore a fedora… I have some pictures back at our place," Kim stated. "We can go look at them!"

"What about shopping?" Biff questioned.

"It can wait. We can load up the bed in my guest bedroom to take out there anyway. Let's go!"

Even in the crowd, I could hear Biff whisper the words, 'Thank God!' as he picked up the bags.

Back in the car, we continued our conversation. Kim was telling me about their trip to Germany. "How could you guys afford all these trips?" I asked.

"I came from a rich family," Kim meekly replied. "After graduation, I wanted to take everyone on a 'round-the-world trip, before we all set off for college. We travelled for two years straight, and still didn't see every country, ha ha!"

"Mainly because we kept coming home. Our families kept calling us, freaking out about every dangerous situation we found ourselves in." Biff chimed in.

"How rich are you?" I asked, amazed.

"Well, not very much now. I got cut off after our trip to the Filipino jungle," Kim replied with a humble shrug. "But we still had money for one more trip,"

"Where did you go?"

"Hold on, we haven't told you about our trip to Bavaria yet- unless Mandible already told you?" Biff spoke up quickly, as if wanting to avoid the topic. "It was one of our more interesting adventures,"

I shook my head. "Nope. But I'd like to hear what's more interesting than 40-foot cobras, aliens wanting to film a movie, and turning a giant wand into an airborne missile."

"Well, it wasn't anything supernatural, but it was pretty mind-blowing," Kim stated. "We were on tour at a castle one night- see, I was friends with the tour guide, and she offered to give us a private tour before the coronation. Well, it turns out, Puggsy was the spitting replica of the king!"

"A king…?"

"Yeah! Not only that, but the king had a wicked cousin who wanted to hide him away so he couldn't attend the coronation- see, the count (that is, his cousin) would ascend to the throne if the king (well, prince at the time I should say) couldn't be found by midnight. Since Puggsy looked just like him, we decided to find the king and pull a switch. Unfortunately, our plan kind of backfired when the count ended up putting Puggsy in a trance like he did with the prince…"

As she told the story, I kept trying to imagine the story… something in my mind was stirring, but most of it was a blank.

"This time, it was Biff and I who did the saving." Kim went on. "We found the cell the werewolves and Puggsy were locked in and released them, and made a bee-line to the castle, just in time for the coronation! The only tricky part was which one was the real king- with both of them in a trance, we ended up flipping a coin to decide!"

"Thankfully we picked the right one- otherwise we'd have to explain why Puggsy woke up with a crown on his head." Biff joked. "Still, we were awarded medals of valor for the rescue and capturing of the crooked count,"

I shut my eyes a moment, remembering seeing a medal in the 'forbidden room' back at the cabin.

"We got to stay inside the castle too. The whole time…" Kim had to pause to stifle a chuckle. "The whole time, we kept making wild theories that Puggsy and the king were long-lost brothers separated at birth!"

"It was funny until the whole castle staff considered it a possibility, and wanted to have them both take a blood test!" Biff added with a grin. "The moment someone held up a syringe, Puggsy passed out!"

I cringed. "…honestly, being stabbed with needles myself, I wouldn't blame him…"

Biff flinched. "Oh, shit, sorry Vigor-!"

"I-It's okay, it's okay! Just… well, what did Rudolph think of the whole idea of having a twin brother?"

"Well, he saw the humor in it, but pointed out their age difference-" Kim began to say, only to pause. "Hold on… how did you know what the king's name was?"

I paused myself. "I… I don't know… it just came to mind…" I rubbed my head, closing my eyes.

I replayed the story again in my mind… everything was blurry for some reason. Suddenly, my dream from last night came to mind. The person I was talking to…

"V-Vigor? Are you alright?" Biff asked.

I looked at him. I looked at both of them…

…

In my mind, I could imagine what they looked like back then—Biff's hair was wavier, and Kim's hair was shorter…

…

I then realized why the stories had gaps when Mandible told them…

I winced, my head ringing.

"Vigor…?" Biff asked, concerned.

I shut my eyes. A memory began to resurface… but there were still gaps…

But this time, I knew they were going to be filled.

"Take me back to the cabin…" I whispered.

"What? W-Why?" Kim asked.

"I… I need to see something… and…" I looked at my two old friends. "Tell me about the trip to Angel Crest Beach,"


	44. Clarity

_~3_ _rd_ _Person POV~_

Mandible had tried to keep himself busy throughout the day as he waited for his friends to return. He chopped firewood, going as far as to cut down a couple trees in order to prolong the task; he went hunting with Fangpuss (if only for sport, as the cellar still had plenty of meat), the younger werewolf suggesting they see who could take down a large buck first in order to add some fun to it; by noon, they were back in the cabin, warming up after being outdoors all morning and having a bite to eat.

Yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't distract himself from the time. He kept looking up at the sun to see how far it had risen since everyone left, each time disappointed to find not even five minutes had passed.

The two were back out in the woods; this time, his young cousin turned human, wanting to try out some the new coat and snow-boots Kim had bought for him the other day, hopping in the snow in order to fill in Mandible's footprints with his own as they took a stroll (leaving tiny show-prints in the massive paw-prints).

"One-duck, two-duck, three-duck, four… waddling to the lake, as the rain pours," Manny hummed to himself as he hopped. "Five-duck, six-duck, seven-duck, eight… one little duck got stuck in the gate!"

"Where did you come up with that?" Mandible asked, finding the rhyme both irritating but amusing.

"It's in a book Kimmy got me," Manny hopped once more, landing next to him, before hopping ahead. "Nine-duck, ten-duck, eleven-duck, twelve… Mama duck quacks, and wags her- *gasp!*"

The child paused, looking ahead. Mandible stopped, following his gaze.

Up ahead were a few wolves, led by a large black wolf. From its intense look, it seemed like it was glaring at Manny. A couple other wolves were looking too, not with such ferocity but more of warning, as if they wouldn't hesitate to lunge if the child made one more move.

Slowly, the werewolf walked up to the child- keeping his eyes on the black wolf- and picked him up, setting him on his shoulders. The black wolf only growled, but turned and continued its way, the rest following. "…You're no better, hairball." Mandible muttered under his breath in response, albeit glad ordinary wolves didn't understand the human-language.

Manny hung on to him, giving his cousin a gentle hug around the collar. "Thank you, Mandy-belle," he whispered, his voice relieved.

"What was that all about? Did you beat that furball in a hunting-match or something?"

"He never liked me. He was one of my mama-wolf's pups, but when she started taking care of me, he got mad. He didn't think I should have been part of the pack," he winced, holding onto him tighter. "None of them did… Mama-wolf was the only one who liked me, and after she died, the pack all turned against me. He was the first one to bite me,"

Mandible's ears bent back; he recalled Fangpuss telling him (in simple growls) that the wolf-pack didn't accept him. He recalled, after he went savage, news that his aunt and uncle had tried to kill him after he himself turned savage…"Y-Yeah, well, you don't need 'em. If they can't accept ya, then they can f- er, back off."

"It's okay. I know how to take care of myself. …And now I got you!" Manny beamed.

Something came to mind just then. "Hey, Manny… how come you wanted to find me, if I… I mean, when you were really little, I almost hurt you… why did you want to stay with me? I know you like Vigor, but… why me?"

Manny rested his chin on his head. "You were like that mountain lion. You were mean. But… you didn't mean to be. Something was wrong with you- I could tell. You didn't act the same when you were human,"

Mandible cringed. He remembered the rabid mountain lion… so that's how his cousin perceived it. "Yeah, but that mountain lion had rabies- something infected its brain, and it couldn't be cured."

"I know. Mama wolf explained rabies to me. It happened with a lot of the wolves. But you acted rabid that night, and it still scared me. …But I could tell you're not rabid now. You're still good."

 _Geez, first Vigor, Kim and now my cousin?!_ The werewolf thought with a sneer. "Manny… I don't know how to tell you this, but I'm not that much of a good guy. I… I've killed people."

"I know…"

Mandible's eyes widened and he looked at him. "What?! How?!"

Manny slid off his back, pacing around, kicking a bit of snow. "I heard Biff and Kimmy arguing about it, once. They thought I was asleep. …They were worried you might kill Vigor on the last full moon." He looked up at Mandible. "But… I knew you wouldn't. You'd never kill your friends,"

Fuck, his chest felt tight. He shook his head. "Y… You don't know anything! You're just a kid!" He began to storm off-

*THUD!*

Suddenly, he found himself planted facedown in the snow, Manny on his back! "I know I'm a kid! Everyone keeps treating me like one… but… I'm a kid who had to grow up alone!" he yelled, tears running down his face. "My mom and dad wanted to kill me! The wolf pack wanted to kill me! I had to live alone, thinking everyone wanted to kill me! I… I had to learn how to kill in order to survive! You think I liked choking little bunnies to death with my jaws, or clawing off an innocent deer's face in front of her baby?! I don't like killing, and I know you don't like it either! So shut up, because I understand better than you think!"

The werewolf lay there, stunned. "M-Manny…" he gasped.

"You're not a bad guy… stop thinking that… you're still my cousin… y-you guys are pretty much the only family I have! Stop acting like you don't belong!" The child continued to sob. "I don't care what you did… what matters is that you've gotten better… you're not a rabid animal, okay?"

Mandible sighed, sitting up, the child climbing off his back and giving him a firm, teary-eyed look. "It's… not the same thing though. You killed animals, I killed people-"

"We're both part-animal, so there's no difference!" Manny interrupted. "Animals still have families. Animals want to keep living. I know I have to eat, but that doesn't excuse the fact that I took their lives! Unlike normal hunters… I can understand them. Their cries of pain, their begging for mercy… I'll never forget any of it! I have nightmares about it! Maybe… maybe if I couldn't understand them, it wouldn't be so sad, but… to me, it feels like I'm killing people."

He watched his cousin, seeing him trembling as he sobbed. It reminded him of how he probably looked that day, when he woke up with blood on his hands, and reality set in…

"But you never killed your best friend," Mandible muttered. "Do you remember Puggsy? …You and I used to pick on him all the time when you were a baby."

Manny cocked his head. "Puggsy? What did he look like?"

"He had black hair, broad shoulders, and wore a gray hat. ...well, it doesn't matter now. A long time ago, we were going after some bad guys, and… well, to cut to the point, I ended up killing him."

The child continued to look confused. Kim and Biff had told him Puggsy had died, and his cousin blamed himself… but none of it made sense to him. "I don't understand how that's possible…"

"Because I lost control!" Mandible began to pace around, aggravation getting the best of him. "Those assholes we were after ended up making me taste human blood- blood they took from Puggsy! I ran into a room, where they had cut him real bad, and practically shoved it in my mouth! Then… then everything went blank after that. I remember seeing red, and hearing him scream, and… and… then I woke up, all that was left of him was his hat, and his blood was all over me! I KILLED PUGGSY!"

His voice echoed through the forest, and he fell to his knees, his face in his hands.

He said it.

After so many years, he had let it out.

He expected a long silence, maybe Manny would run away crying…

"No, you didn't." Manny replied. Not in a way of denial, but more like he was pointing out the obvious.

"Manny… I did. Puggsy's dead, because of me…"

"Puggsy's not dead."

The werewolf glared at his cousin. "Dammit, kid, why won't you accept it?!

"Because I've seen him!"

Mandible froze. "W… What?!"

"I see him every day."

"You… you see him every day?! Where?!"

"Here! Mandy-belle, he's been staying with you this whole time!"

…

"Shit, you little fucker…" Mandible cursed under his breath, face-palming. "Vigor is NOT Puggsy! They barely look alike! You probably don't remember him that well…"

"I remember his scent." Manny said, pointing at his nose. "It was easy to remember, because we'd always chase him. That's how I remembered everyone- I couldn't remember their faces, but I remember their smells."

His ears perked up. "His scent…" he considered this… that was the reason he didn't like Vigor in the first place… "But, no- a lot of people smell alike!"

"Not really. I remember when there were two of him- one of them smelled better,"

Mandible steadied his breathing. This wasn't possible to believe… he remembered waking up, seeing blood on his hands… Manny was too naïve to remember things clearly! So what if he could remember a few things from infanthood? He had been traumatized, it's hard to forget certain things that involve trauma!

"No… no, Puggsy's dead… I-I remember it!" the werewolf continued to argue.

Manny crossed his arms. "Then take me to his grave, because I don't believe it!"

"His grave is back in Brooklyn." Mandible winced at the memory; Puggsy grew up in foster-care, having gone through various families before graduation- most of his time was spent with the gang, so he didn't exactly have anyone to hold a funeral for him; nonetheless, Kim had bought a headstone and they held a service for him three days after they returned home.

"Then take me there! Until I'm convinced that he's dead and buried, I say he's Vigor!"

"Why don't you shut your-!" Mandible began to snarl, but paused. He took a deep breath. "…We didn't bury him."

Manny cocked his head once more. "Then what did you do with his body?"

The werewolf opened his mouth to reply… but once again froze.

Something in the back of his mind began to surface…

"His body…" he whispered.

"Mandy-belle? What's wrong?" Manny asked, concerned.

Without an answer, Mandible took off. Manny ran after him, turning into Fangpuss in order to keep up. _'Hey! What's wrong?!'_ he yipped.

But Mandible didn't reply. His thoughts were in a frenzy, as he thought back to that night.

His mind had been fuzzy, but once realization hit him, things began to clear up.

He thought about that scene- how he found himself surrounded by debris and rubble after the building stopped burning.

Puggsy's body had never been recovered… they figured it had been lost in the fire.

But if that were so… how did his blood get on his hands?

More importantly… why was his hat the only thing left?

He still had his doubts about his cousin's notion, but he was sure of one thing.

 _I'm not responsible for Puggsy's death!_


End file.
